How I'm overcoming driving anxiety

I never thought I'd drive, but here's what's worked with my extreme driving anxiety: 1. Realizing there's no other way to get over driving than to actually drive. For years I'd put it off. I'd drive one day and take weeks if not months off thinking it would be better next time and it wasn't . 2. Parking lots is were I started. Practice driving on the same parking lots over and over. Turns, signaling, and parking. Practice later in the day when they're quieter and slowly move to driving on back roads. 3. Start small, even if it feels silly. My closest coffee shop is about a 3min walk. I made myself drive there the first few times I drove alone. I was shaking the whole 50secs it took to get there. I drove around our complex a couple times too. 4. Be gentle to yourself. If I made the slightest mistake, I'd beat myself up and convince myself I should not be driving and that I was failing at it. 5. Take the same drives over and over. I'd only ever drive to work and home. The first few times were excruciating but after a couple of weeks I got used to it. 6. Make a list of close by spots you want to visit. I remember planning drives to go to Dollarama, a thrift store, or a coffee shop. 7. Make a playlist of music you enjoy specifically for driving. I started driving with no music cause I found it so distracting. Later I made a list of soft and calm music that I still play sometimes. 8. Pre plan the drive. Sometimes looking through Google maps and seeing the roads would make me feel much better and not feel as lost and overwhelmed on new streets. I'd also pre plan merging lanes 😬 9. If you're feeling overwhelmed, park somewhere and take your time. I had a panic attack after driving a longer distance and making a mistake on the way there. The thought of having to drive back broke me. We spent maybe over 30mins just sitting in the car until I was more calmed. I was still very nervous but I drove back. 10. Accept that nobody can do this for you but yourself. I had a supportive system but the only person who could make the decision to make myself drive was me. #drivinganxiety