Driving Test Number 5

[Gemma871]

Hi guys - so i have test number 5 coming up and i am so nervous! I am at the point in my life now where driving would benefit me so much, I work in a rural town which is two buses each way, I have to get up at 5.30am every morning in order to get my LO to nursery and then get to work for 8.30am so driving would give me a longer lie in.

My problem is i have no self belief, I want it so bad! Any tips? Or anyone been in a similar situation and passed 5,6 or even 7th go?

am sure you realise how draining and deflating it is to fail!

Trying to think positive x

Agree with the above on mirrors. I remember my driving instructor telling me to make it more obvious I was looking in the mirrors as I was only using my eyes, and that would be hard for the examiner to catch. Stupid really, since if you're mirrors are in the right place you should only need to move your eyes.

I hated my driving tests! I think I fainted in about half of them from anxiety!

A few things helped -
Hypnotherapy recording which I edited to have some calming music at the end. I played that music (but not the recording because hypnotherapy and driving don’t mix!) so I basically pavlov dog’d myself

Sucky sweets - sounds odd but hear me out! Our tongue is the strongest muscle and it’s constantly moving, so when we need more brain, we can free some up by distracting the tongue (it’s why little ones might stick their tongues out if they are concentrating ) ... so a sucky sweet can help free up some brain, and does the whole comforting thing because it’s a muscle memory to suckling

Having my instructor in the back. I don’t know that’s still an option with COVID but being able to look back and see a friendly, familiar face

High ponytail and dangly earrings - they really want you to check those mirrors and a swinging pony/earrings helps to emphasise that (I was not an obvious checker at all! I definitely do look but my head stays pretty still apparently)

Best of luck