Mindful Driver | MD Insight
108
archive,category,category-md-insight,category-108,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-title-hidden,qode-content-sidebar-responsive,qode-theme-ver-16.8,qode-theme-bridge,qode_header_in_grid,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-5.5.2,vc_responsive

Until recently my training car had sign writing on it with my name and number very clearly displayed. This meant that if I did anything that might be considered not right I would run the risk of getting a disgruntled phone call or possibly a bad review on social media from a member of the public, which as a driver trainer wouldn’t be great. I enjoy following the rules of the road and get satisfaction out of driving correctly, so this has never been a problem. However, just recently I changed my car and at least for the meantime it has...

06 July, 2019 /

For a lot of people driving can be a chore or something that they fear because of how busy, and at times angry, the roads are. But there are simple steps you can take today to reduce these effects and increase your enjoyment and safety while driving. On the ‘Mindful Driving: an introduction’ workshop we look at a multitude of different ways you can do this and I take you through a deeper understanding of the techniques, but here are 3 quick and easy ways you can start practicing today that will change your driving experience for the better:   Remove distractions Our cars...

21 March, 2019 /

Traffic is just part of life on the road and I think it is safe to say that the majority of us don’t look forward to it. The idea of sitting still in a queue of cars while the clock ticks by can seem like a waste of time. In fact, we could probably list numerous reasons why we don’t like it. However, is there a positive side we might be overlooking? And if there is, how would it change our experience if we chose to focus on the pros instead of the cons? Here are 7 reasons I like sitting...

26 February, 2019 /

This time of year a lot of emphasis is put on good will to others. Sharing love with family and friends, supporting those less fortunate and giving what we can to charities. Love, support and giving are all truly important values and we, as a society, and as humankind, benefit greatly by applying these to our day-to-day lives throughout the year. How can we live these values while driving? How do we show love to those drivers who don’t appear to care about others? It all comes down to our thoughts. If we watch our minds and notice our judgements of...

18 December, 2018 /

The Christmas shopping period is well underway as people flock to the streets to buy gifts for their loved ones. I’ve started to notice an increase in the number of cars in the city centre during the evenings, with long queues stretching up the motorway. But what does this volume of traffic do to us? One effect is a sense of running behind, leading us to feel like we need to rush. We see this in the shops as people hurry to get around the crowds and finish as quickly as possible. We also see this on the roads before and...

10 December, 2018 /

Every year advent calendars help us countdown the days until Christmas. It’s a fun way to look forward to the holidays for children and adults alike. However, this countdown mentality isn’t just a festive activity, but a daily occurrence throughout our lives, with watches, alarms, countdown apps and calendar reminders. How often do you find yourself counting down the days to a holiday, the hours to the end of a working day, or the minutes leading up to an important call or meeting? Clock watching is systemic in our culture with an emphasis on goals, deadlines and punctuality. There is...

03 December, 2018 /

Moving into the winter months in the UK it’s likely we’ll have some wet and windy weather. This may not make for the most ideal driving conditions as it becomes harder to see and adds more things to think about, sometimes in an already busy situation. The wipers wave about like an impatient child trying to get your attention and the wind buffers the car and hurries people across the road in front of you at the last moment. It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas shopping in the city centre where people are darting around and there is...

27 November, 2018 /

As the days get shorter, more and more of our daily commute is in darkness. For some who work their days in an office or warehouse this is less than appealing. Leaving home in the dark, working the day under artificial light, and then driving home in the dark. However, it is important to remember that these darker days are a necessary part of life. They remind us that we cannot have the light without the dark, the good times without the bad, highs without lows. Everything is defined not only by what it is but also by what it is...

15 November, 2018 /

When we drive we are quite often focused on our need to be somewhere at a certain time. However, what is time but a form of measurement, a way for us to record, plan and predict our reality. There is no time in nature, just the present moment that changes in accordance with a set of laws. Yet we put so much emphasise on the importance of ‘time’, a human concept, which we use to control our lives. Time is needed in this world and it does help us coordinate and get things done, but so often it becomes a distraction...

24 October, 2018 /

When driving there are things we can’t control, such as what other people do on the road, the amount of traffic or what the weather is like. The only thing we can control is how we respond to these outside influences. Everything else can be taken away from us, but the freedom to choose our response in any given situation is ours and ours alone. However, quite often we don’t realise this, or if we do we forget, and instead of consciously choosing our reaction we leave it up to our subconscious. After all it is quicker and requires less...

03 October, 2018 /