Driving a motorcycle can be one of the most awesome things in the world. After all, imagine driving past all that traffic on the highway, or revving it up in an empty road. There’s thrill feeling that rush of air as your machine roars in dominance.
Thing is, being a biker isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. There will be situations where you’ll grow anxious of your driving – be it in traffic, when you encounter unruly drivers, or if you’re worried about the situation of your bike in general. This is normal, as you’re of course concerned about the welfare of your bike and your condition on the road. However, it doesn’t have to come to a point where road anxiety will be having an extremely negative impact on your life. If you feel as though your road anxiety is starting to affect you, it’s not impossible to find ways to deal with it. In this article are some tips you might find helpful to your needs. Here are some of them:
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Try to identify your issues and concerns as a biker. If you're reading this article, then you're most likely aware that you're experiencing anxiety because of particular aspects of your driving. Thing is, before we get to solve and tackle any form of anxiety, we first need to acknowledge it and identify where these fears might be coming from.
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If you're having a bit of a hard time with this, you can start by trying to recall situations where you've felt extremely angry, disappointed, or afraid. This might be you being afraid of being penalized, being angry that someone went faster than you, or you being anxious about the appearance of your bike. Knowing what exactly your problems are can help you know exactly what you might be asking help for.
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Try zeroing in on these problems, as mentioned above and try to check what might be triggering these situations. This might seem embarrassing on your part, but this does help you be more aware of what might be causing you harm as a biker. This is especially helpful if you know certain situations “tick you off# the wrong way.
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Take time to reflect on how you drive your bike every few weeks. If you're concerned about your overall performance as a driver, it might be helpful to reflect on your driving every few weeks. You can take notes as to how you approach your driving compared to traditional methods, and compared to how driving manuals usually show.
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Doing these every now and then allows you to double check whether you're doing something that can be dangerous, or if you can approach aspects of your current driving with more finesse. This essentially helps you identify problems you have with your driving, and at the same time find ways to improve it.
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If you’re anxious about your performance as a driver in general, especially when it comes to races and events, you can actively take notes and start practicing.
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You can also start scheduling regular maintenance on your bike, especially if you’ve started to get anxious over your bike parts.
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Implement and practice meditative, breathing techniques to help you stay calm. If you can identify specific situations that cause you to feel extremely anxious, you can also try out various forms of breathing and meditation to calm yourself down. This can be extremely helpful in situations completely out of your control, and can help you be more aware of your current state of mind. These exercises can help you not just calm yourself, but also help ground yourself back to reality and make more informed decisions about the situation. This is important especially if you’re experiencing panic attacks while driving.
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You can practice mindful meditation, which can help you ground yourself to reality and help you get calmer. This can help you prepare for reflecting on various things, which is helpful if you’re anxious performing stunts in an event, or when you’re about to race, or when you drive in general.
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You can also start regularly working out, which not only helps you stay fit, but also help your body release adrenaline and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters that help you be more active, mindful, and happy. This can help you calm down and at the same time stay aware of your surroundings.
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Aside from exercises, you can also play board games and video games to help yourself relax and unwind from the stresses of riding. For instance, car games online can be a fun game that lets you take a breather from riding your machine. And as a car game, it can also help you get “in the zone” and boost your confidence as a driver.
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Approach professionals if your road anxiety starts to negatively affect your life. When you feel as though your road anxiety has begun affecting you and people around you negatively, it might be time to approach professionals. These professionals can also help you discover relevant and helpful insights about yourself that might be affecting your attitude towards driving.
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This doesn't necessarily mean approach a psychiatrist immediately, though. You can approach driving teachers, life coaches, and other professionals that can help you zero in on your concerns and identify steps you can take to develop a newer and better attitude towards your driving at large.
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If you think you’re in need of psychiatric aid, you can approach psychiatrists and psychologists about your issues involving your bike and your driving at large. They can help zero in on your potential problems and help you understand how they affect you and the way you live your life so far.
Conquer Road Anxiety: Make Riding More Comfortable
It’s one thing to have fun while racing or doing stunts with your bike, but it’s another thing to be comfortable with your riding entirely. Despite our driving lessons, it’s really unavoidable to sometimes feel a bit anxious with how we perform and how our bikes appear in traffic. Thankfully, we don’t necessarily have to be stuck in that situation forever. With the tips above, you’ll hopefully be able to conquer your concerns with road anxiety, and you’ll hopefully be able to have a much better time on the road. Remember, you might have an awesome bike, and you might’ve performed well in your driving tests. However, the most important part of being a biker is that you feel awesome and you stay comfortable riding your machine.
John Salazar is a certified techie-at-heart, but he shares a love for all things science and technology, health and wellness, and even a bit of music on the side. As a creative writer, John makes sure to write both informative and entertaining pieces. He loves writing, and he plays the guitar when he has free time.