When my son rang me to tell me that he had passed his driving test, I tried not to be too surprised.   In truth, and this sounds really negative, I did not expect him to pass first time.   Very few of his friends had passed first time, and from what I hear about the driving test now, it is significantly harder than it was ‘in my day’.   We did not have a written exam, and the actual practical test was only about 15 to 20 minutes long, with a couple of questions at the end.

I really do not believe that we are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ drivers.   It is rather our ability to learn, and then apply this practically which is key, being able to maintain that state of focus and concentration, so that we are constantly aware of potential hazards.  The difficulty then comes (and this has happened with several of my sons’ friends) that in an exam, people can often be so overcome with nerves, that to achieve this state of focus, whilst at the same time being fairly relaxed becomes impossible.  If the result of the driving exam is then a failure, the memory of this can be sometimes ‘locked-in’ to the student’s head, and cause even more nerves at the next attempt.

Hypnotherapy is excellent in this case, in eliminating those exam nerves and enabling you to get into that state of what I call ‘relaxed alertness’, feeling in control, calm and steady.  It is also possible to mentally ‘scramble’ past failed attempts, so that they no longer have a negative effect on your ability to remain calm.

 It is also really helpful for people who have actually been driving for a number of years, but are very nervous drivers, perhaps due to an accident.

Sometimes, all that is needed is a couple of sessions to boost confidence, and to learn to deal with nerves or any past negative experiences, and you actually feel so much better.

Living in the countryside as I do, driving is an essential skill for many of us, and if we can make it a pleasurable and safe experience, this is all the better.

If you would like to have a chat to me about this, or any other issue, please get in touch on 01449 780352, or 0781 7158429, or email me on wendy@wendychalk.co.uk.