What do winter driving skills and good mental health have in common? Our Registered Psychologist (Provisional) Murray Heintz tells us that apparently there are a lot of similarities between the two 🙂
How To Stay In Your Lane
Many of the skills and attitudes needed to be a safe attentive driver are transferable to attending to our mental health, no, really. Staying in your lane while driving indicates someone who stays centered, focused, and attentive to your actions and surroundings and adjusts according. Let’s apply those same skills to our mental health.
Keep your focus on what is ahead of you
When driving, it is easy to move away from the center of the lane if you only focus on things that are close by. Focus on the objects on the horizon before your vehicle. When you focus far ahead, you still see what is nearby before you.
For mental wellness, if we always look back on our past mistakes and pain, we drift from where we are and where we want to go.
Relax your grip on the wheel
When driving, do not hold tightly on to the wheel because you cannot make appropriate adjustments.
For mental wellness, remaining rigid in your thinking makes it harder to adjust and adapt to changing circumstances or expectations.
Reduce distraction in your car
When driving, You are likely to move away from the center of the lane if you are distracted inside the car.
For mental wellness, distracting yourself constantly with other peoples’ problems, work demands, and all of life’s expectations prevents you from focusing on your needs.
Keep your eyes on the lines
When driving, do not forget to look at your side mirrors because the habit reminds you of your location on the road.
For mental wellness, looking around you prevents you from becoming so single-minded or hyperfocused that you overlook other elements of your life.
Maintain equal tire pressure
When driving, imbalances in tire pressure can keep you from the center because the vehicle would be too unstable to be controlled.
For mental wellness, too much or too little pressure in any one area can cause imbalances in our attention and efforts, reducing our ability to remain in balance
Don’t focus too much on the vehicle in front
When driving, the problem comes when the vehicle you depend on for determining the lane center is misguided.
For mental wellness, if we are focused solely on what others are doing, we are not paying attention to what is happening in our lives.
How to stop swerving while driving
When driving, the problem with swerving is that you can end up causing more severe damage than the one you were avoiding
For mental wellness, if we constantly swerve or avoid challenges, we may miss opportunities, chances to grow, and experiences that make life worth living.
As I mentioned, there are many similarities between driving and mental health. Both activities take practice and ongoing attention.
– Murray Heintz, Registered Psychologist (Provisional)
Thanks, Murray! Well written 🙂
Murray works with adults. He’d love to work with you.
Murray does excellent work with:
– Anxiety (Generalized & Social Anxiety)
– Panic Attacks & Disorders
– Depression (Major Depressive Disorder current/past/recurrent and Persistent Depressive Disorder)
– PTSD
– Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
– ADHS
– Autism
– Substance Use Disorder
– Stress / Coping Skills
– Mental Health Issues
– Manic disorders including Bi-Polar Disorder 1 and 2;
– Psychotic Disorders – Schizophrenia
– Grief & Loss
– Anger Management
– Emotional Regulation
– Managing Change
– Behavior Management
– Self-esteem
– Self-confidence
– Communication
– Problem solving
– Crisis Management
– as well as many other issues
Murray works with adults offering individual sessions Monday – Friday.
Book your appointment with MURRAY here.
Cheers to staying in our own lanes 🙂
Penney