You mention a lot of ''don't do'' but not a single ''do''.
regular maintenance, regular maintenance, regular maintenance.
You don't turn the steering wheel when the car is stopped? That is what a power steering is for. Go ahead, turn if you want/need to. Kick down? it's there to be used, as and when required. Don't stay in the incoming lane too long for not using the kick down. It could kill you. Drive normally, let the car exercise once in a while with a good work-out. And give it regular maintenance (by the book), do not delay repairs (they only get more expensive and complex with time) .