How to Practice Mindful Driving

Be Present in the Moment

Driving is stressful. Driving is stress relieving. It can be both. It all depends on perspective.

I have felt both ways at different times in my life. Before I started test driving cars for a living, driving made me anxious. Way back when as a teen driver, I had a few fender benders. My confidence tumbled, and I never really felt totally in control. I remember my fear of collisions, both concrete and abstract: What if other drivers became too aggressive on rainy days? What if I had to parallel park in a tight spot? What if I got stuck in traffic and was late and careless?

When something scares me, eventually I try to get over my angst. I began to write about cars in my late twenties, which required me to rethink my relationship to cars. Driving was a job requirement to write for a car magazine, so I had to face my fears head on.

A colleague told me about driving schools, where they taught skills for performance driving. That first driving school experience changed everything. I became more comfortable behind the wheel and with practice I developed a mental strategy to stay calm in stressful driving situations. My take away: Driving well starts with being present in the moment. Good driving is a practice in mindfulness.

Body Awareness

My long drives start before I get in the car. I envision myself behind the wheel, in a position of purpose. Once seated, I roll my shoulders back, relax my elbows pull my belly button to my spine, and focus on evening my breath. As I settle in, I adjust the air in the cabin or crack the window open for some oxygen and to focus on my surroundings. It turns out my instincts have medical merits. I first heard Nkechi Deanna Njaka, a neuroscientist and dancer speak on a panel about the future of wellness with Matthew McConaughey organized by Lincoln.

I reached out to Njaka to understand if observations about mindfulness and driver are supported by science. “We are a culture that likes to distract, zone out or escape and driving can be a really beautiful way to connect with the self and the experience of the present moment. Mindfulness is a safer way to drive,” she says.

Njaka shares some of the best practices for staying at peace. “The best way to practice mindfulness while driving is to first simply limit distractions while driving so that you are able to pay attention to the full experience of driving. Allow for noticing. Notice where you are in space, notice what the temperature of the car feels like, notice what making contact with the seat and the steering wheel feels like. And then once there is a deep awareness of the body in space, the focus can shift on breathing.”

Get Centered

For many people a long drive can pique anxiety, especially if there’s tight time table involved, numbing bouts of traffic, or if the road is unfamiliar. Njaka points out there are things we can do in advance. “One of the things that I love to do before a big trip is meditate right before I am scheduled to leave so that I feel relaxed and calm in my mind and also my body,” she says. I also like to do some stretching.

Like many people, I was not in my best state 2020, due to the stress factors outside my control. I am often hunched over a screen, barely breathing, overstimulated by blue light. Driving is an easy remedy for stagnation.

Over the last year, my relationship to driving has shifted again. When there’s nowhere to go, the drive is at the center of my destination. It’s become more than what I do for work but what I do to relax. I seek out the stimulation of new surroundings, new air, and the joy of trying new vehicles. In my car, I am safely mask free, and put noone at harm. It feels indulgent, powerful, and comforting all at once. When I set out for a drive now, I know I will come back feeling better. And wherever I go, I park, stretch my legs, and get moving, too.

Focus on the Journey

If driving provides relief, it’s important to take preparations to prepare for the best possible way to experience the road.

“It's important to find a place to return to— whether it is the breath or the physical sensation of making contact with the seat of the car or steering wheel,” Njaka says. “I also might play relaxing music while driving but obviously not anything that might make me feel drowsy.” She suggests drinking water, bathroom and food breaks. “This is important so that there are not moments of unwanted panic. Mindfulness around having enough gas in the car, planning where to stop and having devices charged are also ways I might support a long drive. And finally, scheduling time to stretch, break, get out of the car to walk or move are also a great way to support the body on a long drive. Finding moments for conscious breathing— even if it is a cycle of 3 of 5 breaths— can be really centering as well.”

One reason that people get excited about a future of self-driving cars is the idea of having more time to work and do other things while traveling. But as long as cars are parts of our lives, it’s important to do the opposite: tune in, take your time, and pay attention to the road ahead. There’s something profound about moving the body through space with the power of a machine. Rethinking the drive is the the secret to a more peaceful journey.