How I Calmed My Body in the Car for the First Time in 30 Years

I’ve never had a car accident.
Yet for as long as I can remember, the moment I sat in a car, my body tensed.

My hands would get sweaty.
My heart would race.
My mind would run wild with one conviction:
"Any second now, we’re going to crash."

It didn’t matter if the road was empty, the weather was perfect, or I trusted the driver completely — my nervous system acted like we were hurtling toward disaster.

For over 30 years, that was my normal.
I didn’t question it. I just endured it.

The Day Everything Changed

We had just come back from a beautiful holiday.
The sun was shining. My husband was driving. The roads were clear.

By all logic, I should have been relaxed.
But the second we left, the fear flooded in.
Not mild discomfort — scared.

My body went into full alarm mode: sweaty palms, pounding heartbeat, shallow breath. I was scanning the road like a hawk, convinced every turn of the wheel was leading to an accident.

In the past, I would have simply… tolerated it. I would have waited for the journey to be over, counting the minutes until I could get out.

But not this time.

Using a Tool I Had Practised

This time, I decided to try something I’d learned in the last few months — a nervous system calming technique.

I placed both my hands on my heart.
I began circling them slowly, applying steady, comforting pressure.
And I spoke to myself:

"I am safe. Everything is perfectly fine.
We are supported by the universe, always.
I can relax."

The Shift in My Body

It took less than a minute to notice the change.
My shoulders softened.
My breath deepened.
The racing in my chest slowed.

The fear wasn’t completely gone yet — I had to repeat the motion and words a few more times during the journey — but something incredible happened:

Half an hour later, I was the calmest I had ever been in a car.
I could close my eyes.
I could lean back into my seat.
I could look out the window and simply enjoy watching the trees pass by.

Why This Was Such a Big Deal

For decades, my body had been running from danger that wasn’t there.
This wasn’t just “overthinking.”
It was my nervous system, stuck in a pattern of fight-or-flight.

And here’s what I want you to know:
This pattern isn’t just about driving.

For some, the trigger might be…

• Speaking up in a meeting.

• Getting on a plane.

• Opening an important email.

The surface event changes — but the body’s reaction is the same.
And here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Making Calm a Part of Who You Are

When you’re in fight-or-flight mode, your logical mind shuts down.
That’s why simply telling yourself “calm down” almost never works.

You need to train your body ahead of time — to give it a new default setting.
That way, when anxiety does show up, your system already knows the way back to safety.

That’s exactly why I created The Soft Reset.

It’s a gentle initiation into a calmer, safer version of you — not through willpower, but through embodied practice.
So next time anxiety knocks, you’ll respond automatically with calm, because by then, it’s part of your identity.

If anxiety has been your “normal” for too long…
If your body reacts like you’re in danger when you’re not…
Know that change is possible.

I’m walking that path, too — and I’d love for you to join me.

👉 Click here to join The Soft Reset or comment “RESET” on my latest post to get the link.