Written by: Talin Tyvand
Artwork by: Amy Koo
As adolescents mature into adults, we find ourselves in front of many open doors that had previously been shut. The ability to get behind a steering wheel to take ourselves to our desired destination becomes freedom that we take for granted. Not only for the means of transportation, but driving offers passengers great psychological benefits to empower their self-discovery journey.
For many of us, driving has become the method of transportation where we sit in the back, listening to music, talking to our friends, and enjoying the scenery fading all around us. But soon enough, that experience becomes one that we pass along to others as we become the ones in the driver's seat. Driving is a dangerous milestone that many will make mistakes with, but it also offers a progressive step into our self-development. Pre-occupied by the task, swerving through streets and onto highways helps our minds block out other distractions. For the majority, we are able to calm our thoughts racing through our minds, to essentially “take a breather” from all our problems around us, (Volkswagen). The now limitless access that taking the wheel permits, helps us center our attention on what is important and authorizes us to view our problems from new perspectives.
Driving away can directly bridge moving past your issues as you leave your worries behind. The sense of freedom and self-efficacy that driving brings, opens a whole new world to reflect and recognize the impermanent importance of the little things. Even if no destination is plugged into the GPS, watching the world go by becomes a thinking space to foster creativity and growth, (Lane-Godfrey).
Accompanied by the empowerment of traveling, drivers also carry the ability to turn on music within their vehicle. A common concern listed amongst driving tests, warns drivers never to get behind the wheel if they are not in a sane headspace to think clearly on the road. But this is not to discourage any drivers from taking driving as an opportunity to “reduce aggression” and steer their mindset away from one cluttering with emotions. At a safe volume level that allows drivers to still be attentive to the road, music in the background can help raise the mood of the individual as the brain's production of dopamine increases with the enjoyable experience, (Van).
Along with these benefits, driving has proven to produce individuals with greater patience tolerance, and maturity levels, (Kms). Often, the freeing and blissful adventure that driving comes with, is escorted by the grueling hours stuck in traffic. Despite this, those times do provide a scene in which drivers must overcome their impatient attitudes. Similar to situations that one may be going through in their own personal life, the roadblock offers insight into the idea that not everything is in one’s control. It is okay to let go sometimes and simply flow along with the way the road and life will go.
Sources
Kms. “Teaching Your Teen to Drive with Patience as a Priority.” Horn Law, 13 July 2021, https://hornlaw.com/blog/2021/07/teaching-your-teen-to-drive-with-patience-as-a-priority/.
Lane-Godfrey, Georgie. “Open Mind Ahead: How Driving Can Benefit Your Mental Health.” Vitality Magazine, 12 May 2021, https://magazine.vitality.co.uk/open-mind-ahead-how-driving-can-benefit-your-mental-health/.
Van der Zwaag MD, Dijksterhuis C, de Waard D, Mulder BL, Westerink JH, Brookhuis KA. The influence of music on mood and performance while driving. Ergonomics. 2012;55(1):12-22. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2011.638403. PMID: 22176481.
Volkswagon “Driving Thoughts: The Psychological Benefits of Driving.” Driving Thoughts: the Psychological Benefits of Driving, https://www.volkswagenag.com/en/news/2020/11/Driving-thoughts-the-psychological-benefits-of-driving.html#:~:text=Driving%3A%20the%20ultimate%20'time%2Dout'%20for%20problem%20solving&text=By%20pre%2Doccupying%20one%20part,out'%20for%20problem%20solving.%E2%80%9D.
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