Mock Driving Tips for Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month. In 2022 it seems more people than ever before are feeling stress. Research from the Mental Health Foundation has found that in the last year 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. And the Stress Management Society has found that 65% of people in the UK have felt more stressed since the COVID-19 restrictions began in March 2020. So, the team here at Mock Driving Test compiled a list of handy tips that will help alleviate stress especially in the lead up to a driving test or lesson. Read more below.

1. Sleep well for your Driving Test!

Driving test tip number one is so obvious. It's been scientifically proven that those who are well rested respond far better in reaction tests. Your driving test is one long reaction test! The night before avoid having any alcohol or caffeine - both of these will interrupt your sleep cycle. Humans optimum sleep time is 8 hours. If you go to bed at 10pm, set an alarm for 6am. Any more than this and your body and mind enter a new sleep cycle which waking from will make you groggy.

2. Eat Well

What you eat makes your body respond in different ways. If your driving test is early in the morning you need to get a good night’s sleep so eat a carbohydrate rich meal e.g., pasta. Carbohydrates make your body feel sleepy. If your exam is in the afternoon you need to eat protein e.g., meat, eggs or fish. Protein makes your body feel alert.

Be well hydrated too - lack of fluids severally diminishes concentration levels. Make sure you have eaten (no crash diets), preferably something that will stimulate you like, asparagus, avocados, bananas, cod, cheese, peanuts, lettuce or fresh fruit. If you give your brain the right nutrients, you will be able to think faster, have a better memory, be better coordinated and balanced and have improved concentration. For more insight into the science of food, do some research.

3. Be prepared

The night before your practical test get all your documents ready and leave them by the front door. You MUST have your licence, otherwise they'll not take you out for the test. Know what is to be expected from you on the day of your exam. Have a look at how the practical driving test works and how the examiners mark it. Information taken from the DVSA guidance for examiners can be found here. At least read the part in the big red box!

4. Research our material  

I've created an online driving informational videos on our website covering all subject topics you'll be tested on. Study them. Driving lessons (mostly) only last an hour; it's a huge amount of information to take in. Use the tutorials to find out more. People learn in 3 ways; visually (seeing things), aurally (listening to instruction) and kinaesthetically (by doing). If you learn visually, you'll greatly benefit from seeing instructions written on a page. A tiny percentage of people learn aurally, mostly women, and that's how most of the instruction in the lesson is taught. Most people respond well to kinaesthetic learning, which is great, as your driving lesson is just that.

 5. Practice

“Those who pass their driving test have had, on average, have about 45 hours of professional training combined with 22 hours of private practise. Learners who prepare this way, with a combination of plenty of professional training and plenty of practise, do better in the test."

Speak to us on any questions you may have, our friendly instructors have helped thousands of drivers onto the road and can answer any query you may have.

 


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