So here is the story of how I got my driving confidence back after a car accident. What I want is for you guys to do is to take these phases and apply them to your body confidence. The reason I’m using my car accident rather than my own body image process is because of the ease of defining the different phases in the short period of time of car accident to driving confidence compared to the long process of body image confidence.
Phase one- inception
Body image dosent normally have one big defining moment when you become unconfident, but for most people its a slow process. Car accidents, that’s more of big shining, crash down on you moment. For me, it was when a car tboned me and pushed me into another car, across one of the busiest intersections in my state. Simply, it was 10 seconds were I honestly believed I was going to die.
Most peoples body image issues don’t have a dramatic moment like my accident, but these two different issues are in the same phase, inception, when you become unconfident.
Phase two- the first drive
I drove again the first time after my accident, the very next day, not that I wanted to, but my parents encouraged me. I live in the country, so I purposely avoided traffic, and drove on the same roads that I learned to drive on. I was in tears, partly because of the pain in my body, and partly the pain in my head. That same drive, I went into a small down, and had a complete mental breakdown when I reached a crossroad, and a car identical to the car that hit me got too close to me (at least I thought so)
Body image wise, you need to take your first drive, its hard, but if you don’t do it as soon as you can, you never will. My tip- that top/jeans/dress/shorts/skirt etc. in the back of your wardrobe that youve never worn because you thought it was too flashy/short/tight/anything, I want you to put it on, and walk up and down your street. That is all I want you to do. Once you’ve done that, then you are allowed to read phase three.
Phase three- buying
After slowly getting into more traffic, as you will slowly go to more populas places in your awesome piece of clothing, I started going shopping for my new car, having to go into my heaviest traffic yet in the process. So here’s what your gonna do, your gonna wear that awesome piece of clothing to the shopping center. And then your gonna buy that thing you’ve always been too scared too. You can start slow if you want, and remember to look at my post about clothing for some tips
Phase four- the big one!
For me, the big one was to drive on that road that scared me even before my accident, for you, its wearing your pretty new thing to your next big event, a birthday, dinner, anything. The more people there, the better. You are allowed to freak out, you are allowed to go the bathroom and talk to yourself in the mirror, if you don’t, then you are a braver person than I.
Phase five- not thinking
Only the other day, I got in the car and drove without even thinking about the accident. And one day, by repeating certain phases over and over again until you are ready to move on to the next one. Then you will be here, when your worries were a thing of the past, but never forgotten, to remind you of how far you’ve come
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: clothes, confidence, love yourself, tips
