Ian Murton Hypnotherapy

18/02/2026

Driving anxiety often feels like it’s coming from the road.

But most of the time, it begins much earlier.

You’re not in the car.
You’re not at the junction.
You’re not merging onto the motorway.

You’re standing in your kitchen.

And your mind has already created a picture.

A prediction.
A storyline.
An internal soundtrack.

Your nervous system doesn’t react to the road.

It reacts to what your imagination presents as danger.

That’s why anxiety can rise even when nothing is happening.

The image feels real.
The words feel urgent.
The body responds.

But a picture isn’t a threat.
And a sentence in your mind cannot harm you.

The shift happens when you realise you’re not inside the thought.

You’re observing it.

If this helped you see driving anxiety differently, save it and try the exercise again later, you’ll notice more the second time.

Driving anxiety help | fear of driving | motorway anxiety | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

16/02/2026

Driving anxiety during perimenopause can feel like it arrived out of nowhere.

You’ve driven for years.
Motorways. Meetings. School runs.
You’ve handled pressure before.

So when your chest tightens at a roundabout
or merging suddenly feels overwhelming,
it’s easy to think something has gone wrong.

But perimenopause doesn’t create driving anxiety.

What it often does is amplify something that was already there.

Hormonal fluctuation makes your stress response more reactive.
Disrupted sleep slows recovery.
And an older root cause, one that was previously contained becomes activated.

That’s why it feels new.
Even though it isn’t.

When you understand that distinction,
you stop blaming your ability
and start looking in the right place.

If this explains something you’ve been trying to make sense of, save it.

And if you want more grounded, specialist insight into driving anxiety, follow along.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

16/02/2026

It’s not always the speed that unsettles you. Sometimes it’s the unpredictability.

Fear of driving lives in the “what if.” Calm behind the wheel grows in the “I can handle this.”

Not because nothing unexpected happens. But because your nervous system learns it can respond and stay steady.

Confidence isn’t loud.
It’s responsive.

15/02/2026

Panic attacks don’t start with weakness.
They start with miscommunication.

When driving anxiety hits, it isn’t you losing control.
It’s your amygdala — your internal security guard — deciding there’s danger and taking charge.

And when that happens, your prefrontal cortex — the rational, steady part of you — doesn’t get much say.

Heart rate rises.
Breathing speeds up.
Muscles tighten.
Your body prepares to protect you.

The problem?

There’s no real threat.
Just a brain responding to a false alarm.

So instead of fighting the panic, you interrupt the alarm.

Three simple steps:

1️⃣ Hold your breath for 10–15 seconds.
That small rise in carbon dioxide begins signalling safety back to the brain.

2️⃣ Breathe in slowly through your nose…
Then gently top it up.
And breathe out through your mouth to a slow count of eight.
Longer out-breaths help settle the stress response and bring your thinking brain back online.

3️⃣ Gently squeeze the steering wheel from left to right.
That bilateral stimulation helps calm the emotional centres and stabilise the system.

You’re not trying to “relax”.
You’re restoring leadership inside your brain.

The security guard can stand down.
The CEO can step back in.

If this feels familiar, save this post.
It may be useful on a morning when your body forgets you’re safe.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

14/02/2026

Driving anxiety rarely starts on the road.

It often starts the moment you reach for your keys.

You’re still at home.
The engine isn’t on.
But your body has already shifted.

That early surge doesn’t mean you can’t cope.
It means your nervous system is predicting danger before anything has happened.

This is why rhythm works.

Alternating left and right creates organised sensory input.
And organised rhythm signals safety to the nervous system.

Used consistently, that pattern becomes familiar.
And what’s familiar feels less threatening.

You’re not trying to suppress anxiety.
You’re teaching your system a different response.

If your chest tightens the moment you touch your keys, save this — and try it before your next drive.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

14/02/2026

Calm behind the wheel rarely looks dramatic. It looks like this.

Hands that aren’t gripping. Shoulders that aren’t braced. A body that no longer feels like it’s preparing for something bad to happen.

Driving anxiety isn’t a sign you’re incapable. It’s a nervous system that learned to protect you.

And protection can soften. Gently. Repeatedly. Safely.

Save this for the moments your grip starts to tighten.

13/02/2026

Over 100 five-star Google reviews.

From drivers who believed they were the exception.

Motorways avoided.
Tears before work.
Cars left on driveways.

If any part of that feels familiar, take a moment to look around this page.

Read the reviews.
Watch the pinned posts.
Understand how we work.

And if you recognise yourself here, you can book a consultation and take your first step towards change.

You’re not the exception.
And this doesn’t have to define your life.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

13/02/2026

12/02/2026

Driving anxiety during menopause can feel confusing.

You’ve driven for decades.
You manage work, family, responsibility.
You make decisions every day.

And then suddenly, a roundabout feels sharper.
Merging feels bigger.
Your chest tightens in a way it never used to.

It’s easy to assume something is “wrong” with you.

But menopause doesn’t create driving anxiety.

What often happens is this:

If there was already a quieter anxiety pattern underneath,
hormonal fluctuation and disrupted sleep can make your stress response more reactive.

That doesn’t remove your ability.
It changes how quickly your system settles.

And when you understand that distinction,
you stop trying to force confidence
and start addressing what’s actually happening.

If this resonates, save this post. Understanding what’s happening changes how you approach it.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

12/02/2026

Driving anxiety during menopause can feel confusing.

You’ve driven for decades.
You manage work, family, responsibility.
You make decisions every day.

And then suddenly, a roundabout feels sharper.
Merging feels bigger.
Your chest tightens in a way it never used to.

It’s easy to assume something is “wrong” with you.

But menopause doesn’t create driving anxiety.

What often happens is this:

If there was already a quieter anxiety pattern underneath,
hormonal fluctuation and disrupted sleep can make your stress response more reactive.

That doesn’t remove your ability.
It changes how quickly your system settles.

And when you understand that distinction,
you stop trying to force confidence
and start addressing what’s actually happening.

If this resonates, save this post,
it might make more sense to you in a calmer moment.

🧠 driving anxiety help | fear of driving | calm behind the wheel | driving confidence

11/02/2026

Driving anxiety during menopause can feel confusing.

You’ve driven for decades.
You manage work, family, responsibility.
And yet suddenly motorway anxiety feels sharper. Roundabouts feel tighter. Traffic feels overwhelming.

Menopause doesn’t create driving anxiety.

But hormonal fluctuation, broken sleep and a more sensitive stress response can narrow your tolerance window. If there was already a root cause behind the anxiety, those changes can amplify it.

That doesn’t mean you’re losing confidence.
It doesn’t mean you’re becoming incapable.
It means your nervous system has become more reactive.

Most of the menopausal women we work with felt embarrassed that something as routine as driving had started to feel difficult.

Once the root cause was resolved, the intensity reduced, even though their hormones hadn’t magically changed.

If this resonates, save this.
You’re not imagining it. And you’re not the only one.

If you’d like to understand how we resolve the root cause behind driving anxiety, please get in touch.