While you may be able to trace the origin of your driving fears, you may often find yourself in a cranky, anxious or depressed mood and have no idea why. A number of bad habits may be why, habits many of us engage in our daily lives without even thinking. While these habits may not seem all that detrimental, or even detrimental at all, Health magazine says they can have a horrible impact on your driving fears and overall mental health.
Slouching
If you tend to slouch when you walk, you may also tend to focus on the negative and frequently end up in a very sour mood. A study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry found that to be the case when it asked participants to slouch on purpose, walking around hunched over with slouched shoulders and little arm movements.
A fast fix for this one is rolling your shoulders back, keeping your chin high and walking with pep and confidence.
Being too Darn Serious
Freaking out over tripping on a sidewalk, flying into a rage over spilt milk or otherwise taking life too seriously can put you on the fast track to anxiety, depression and an increase in your driving fears. That cliché about laughter being the best medicine holds a lot of truth.
Perk up your mood by making a point of seeking out something fun or funny every day. Whether it’s an amusing TV show, comedic friend or a play date with your dog or kids, try to fit numerous laughs into your daily schedule.
Multitasking
Even if your boss digs your ability to do what seems like 800 things at once, your brain isn’t having all that much fun. Multitasking may make it seem like you’re being super productive, but the opposite is actually true. Trying to pile on multiple tasks at once leaves you stressed-out, distracted and oblivious to your surroundings. It also cuts down on your ability to communicate effectively.
Fix this issue by focusing on one task at a time, paying attention to your task at hand as well as the world around you. Your mental health will enjoy a massive boost if you let your brain process everything that’s going on around you in real time.
Taking Photos, and More Photos, and More Photos
Constantly and haphazardly snapping pics of every single thing around you not only decreases your ability to enjoy life in real time, it also decreases your chances of remembering what you photographed. A study in Psychological Science found that museum visitors who looked at objects were better able to remember what they looked at than those who took pictures of objects.
You can still take photos; just make sure you pay attention to your subject and are not just snapping away for the heck of it. Better yet, you can sit back and enjoy the moments instead of trying to capture each and every one.
So, stand tall. Lighten up. Do one thing at a time, and focus on enjoying (rather than photographing) the world as it unfolds around you. You may find these simple behavioral changes can go a long way toward improving your mental health and helping to alleviate your driving fears.
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