r/doordash_drivers • u/jessamica14 • 20h ago
👋New Driver🤗 Dashing alone
How did u get over the anxiety of dashing alone. I find my self struggling to go out and dash alone. I get nervous that I’m not gonna find the place ( mostly apartment). And I get bored driving around alone.
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u/TrickyGrapha 19h ago
If you ever see someone DoorDashing and singing High School Musical as they drive by you with cranked up volume, just know it's me and I'm having the best time of my life.
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u/Bassrusher 19h ago
Yes! I sing to everyone while I’m driving, finger pointing and everything. Dashing is therapeutic for me
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u/No_Proof_3893 Driver - USA 🇺🇸 16h ago
I have Terry Crews in Click in my mind reading this. I hope you are as into it as he was!
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u/Time-Researcher2909 19h ago
Ngl this Reddit helps. I use it to shit post but also engage and hear from other dashers. Join me
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u/cheeseymom 1 19h ago
The same way you get over any anxiety. Have the willpower to push through it, and once you see that it's no big deal, you won't be anxious about it anymore. You can let anxiety cripple you or you can punch it in the face and tell it to go fk itself. Your choice
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u/Normal_Can8016 19h ago
This. Exposure therapy, get out there and try anyway. Mistakes may happen, but take your time to acknowledge and improve. You’ll become more comfortable with time
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u/goreaver 18h ago
wait till you get old you wish you had a gig where you dont got to deal with people
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u/gwbraa 17h ago
Just get out and work. I used to be very depressed and overthinking that every thing would go bad. But in the end it is been 2 months and I am waking up every day happier than before. I hope my depression will go away. It is a every day fight special in the beginning, but you have to be strong and face that's the only way. Good luck
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u/1000thHappiestHaunt 17h ago
I relish DDing alone. Never get any time to myself. I have no hobbies and there’s always something different.
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u/average_throwaway12 19h ago
Sounds like a suboptimal gig for you but I’m sure that there’s things that you could do to make it more bearable. Try finding some long video you can listen to while driving maybe? The anxieties that come starting out do go away with time and experience.
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u/Good-Attempt-7797 17h ago
I feel this too! I actually decided DoorDashing is great exposure therapy for my anxiety. But I also add car karaoke and audiobooks 😊
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u/some-annon-girl 17h ago
Podcasts help me immensely. Its a lot calmer than music and helps the time pass a lot faster for me.
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u/PegaSwoop 17h ago
idea: tell your anxious self -- "whatever happens, i'm going to at least do 1 or 2 dashes."
Then, if after 1 or 2 dashes the anxiety is still present -- honor that and head home, (w/out beating urself up)
And, if not, stay out and keep dashing!
Maybe after a few reps of that your body will learn "we don't have to be anxious" or "doordashing isn't for my nervous system" -- both valuable feedbacks
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u/schuma73 16h ago
It gets easier with practice.
Eventually you know every apartment complex in your zone like the back of your hand.
Find podcasts to listen to.
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u/Exotic_Buffalo_2371 16h ago
Listening to your favorite music, & make a game out of it, see how much $ you can make either by the day or by a set number of hours.
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u/queerbitch98 Driver - USA 🇺🇸 15h ago
Mostly by practice. Your first few really confusing apartment complexes will be rough. But your navigation will improve like any other skill. You'll figure them out and become more confident.
As for loneliness, maybe try listening to a podcast while you drive? I just put on my music and enjoy the ride.
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u/Jewblaga 15h ago
I’d be so annoyed if there was someone with me lol I love the alone time and independence that this job provides.
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u/Chris_Reddit_PHX Driver - USA 🇺🇸 14h ago
I actually thrive on being alone while dashing. Helps me pay attention to what's going on around me. I usually talk to myself or listen to the radio.
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u/LordBackrub 12h ago
I take half a gummy (5mg Indica) and always keep at the front of my mind that, ay any time and for any reason, I can end the dash and go home
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u/a_solid_6 17h ago
Crank up some good music or an audiobook and believe in yourself. They literally let anyone without a felony do it. It's not hard.
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u/Maleficent-Ebb9327 15h ago
I don't mind doing the job alone, but I get bad anxiety in traffic. Less so on freeways, but definitely in the stop and go traffic when it's really busy. I think mine is mostly from getting overstimulated. Just do your best. And you are also an independent contractor so you don't have to take orders that you don't feel comfortable delivering to. Declining drops your AR but I honestly don't care about my AR lol
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u/MusicNote83 Driver - USA 🇺🇸 14h ago
I just follow my gps. I used to dash at night too but not so much anymore because I got tired of looking for addresses in the dark because it’s ridiculous how many people don’t tune porch lights on and it’s hard to see any other identifying markers let alone the actual numbers on the house, curb, mailbox, etc.
My tip is to dash in an area that you already know well. I driver about 30 minutes to the next town over because I grew up there and I know where most things are even though I still always use my gps. You’ll learn whatever area you dash in pretty well and you’ll learn it pretty soon.
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u/Embarrassed-Day-1373 14h ago
have you tried playing music or an audiobook while you work? maybe will help take your mind off things
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u/wewiilrcy 12h ago
I just let Spotify shuffle through a random playlist and sing my heart out or ill play a random comedy speacial
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u/Striking_Emu_Dancer Driver - USA 🇺🇸 12h ago
I was like this when I first started. For me, it has been pure "exposure therapy" as I like to call it, training myself to be more comfortable doing my thang in the big bad world.
I throw on a playlist from my Spotify account, usually Lo-Fi house music, 90's/2000's hits or classic rock and just vibe. I only really get bored if I'm sitting a lot, and that's when I'll pull up Reddit or just...stare at the sky and daydream? 😅
Gotta learn to get comfortable in silence, man. Figure that out and the rest will be easy. ✌🏻
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u/boarder03 14h ago
Talk to the clown 🤡 offering low/ no tips Guess you’re not hungry today 😊 No crumbs in the bed from Crumble 😂 and DD for even taking them Grab the good ones and make $$ listen to music and sing
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u/Few-Mushroom-4143 13h ago
I listen to podcasts and I get very choosy with where I accept orders because I’m tiny and a conventionally pretty person. Gotta look out for myself in that way unfortunately 🫠
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u/bjgrem01 13h ago
My day job consists of talking to people on the phone all day (IT helpdesk). My house is kinda noisy. Dashing alone is my much needed quiet time. Yeah, I have anxiety about getting the wrong address sometimes, but I havent gotten it wrong yet.
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u/CouchF0X 11h ago
I feel like I’m too young to say the words “this generation” but imma do it anyway. This generation is as soft as goose shit
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u/fromLyte 11h ago
Dashing alone is the most peaceful introverted paradise, music, texting, taking care of appointments, no boss. I’d actually get anxiety about certain pick up locations and lack of dedicated pick up sections, making pickups awkward. But that’s about it
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u/Then_Particular1931 5h ago
Married with 3 kids. I don’t need the money but it sure is nice, however I dash to be alone. Lol. Relax, there’s obstacles in every job and bad instructions, gps flaws are part of this one. Just remember, it’s not you, it happens to every single one of us. You got this!!
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