Driving Away Stress
It's the morning rush hour, and your blood has reached the
boiling point. You have exactly five minutes to get to work and
you discover a major traffic tie-up along the freeway. You see
the orange pylons and suddenly realize that you are stuck in a
construction zone. The stress of being late for work seems
overwhelming.
Or, perhaps it's 5:30 p.m. and you're rushing to pick your
four-year-old up from day care. A car suddenly veers in front of
you and you have to slam on the brakes. You barely avoid an
accident. Again, your stress level is rising and you're finding
it difficult to cope.
In today's world, driving is a major cause of stress. Many of
us spend countless hours stuck in traffic jams. There seem to be
more cars on the road than ever before. In many American cities,
traffic problems are a major public safety issue. And, at times,
it might seem as if drivers are less courteous than they've ever
been.
Another source of stress is the care and maintenance of your
vehicle. You have to worry about paying insurance costs,
inspection fees, rising gas prices, and basic maintenance bills.
The financial stress involved in keeping a car on the road can
seem tremendous. Also, you might be saddled with a car that has
constant break-downs. If you feel as if your car is not secure,
it can be quite a stressful experience.
For parents, chauffeuring children can be quite a stressful
time. You might have to referee fights between children as you
drive. Or you might have to find innovative ways to keep
children occupied during long commutes. Keeping children
well-fed in the car can also be quite stressful. In desperation,
you might pull into a drive-thru, where the wait seems
intolerable.
Driving stress is a fact of modern life. There will always be
potholes, discourteous drivers, cranky passengers. You will
inevitably encounter traffic jams on your way to work, to the
store, or to school. There will always be times when you grip
the wheel, wondering whether you'll be able to make it.
While you cannot eliminate the stress of the road, there are
ways to curtail it. For instance, you might consider investing
in some restful CDs. Classical music can be quite soothing on a
difficult driving day. Or you might like to listen to a CD of
nature sounds as you are trying to negotiate your way through
traffic. If you don't have a CD player, cassette tapes are
another possibility. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase
tapes or CDs at a record store, consider purchasing them at a
yard sale or church bazaar. You can even borrow tapes and CDs
from your local library. You'll find that you're better able to
handle the stress of driving with some pleasant sounds emanating
from your car stereo.
Another thing you might consider is changing your route. If you
inevitably end up in traffic jams on the freeway, consider using
residential streets instead. While you might find that your
commute time is longer, you might also discover that your stress
is reduced considerably when your route is changed.
Another technique that many drivers use is to start out five to
ten minutes earlier than they need to. That way, you don't have
to operate under such a time crunch. Those five or ten minutes
can make quite a difference to your daily commute. In addition,
you might enjoy having those extra minutes to yourself once you
arrive at school or at work.
Driving is a necessary daily chore for most of us. The trick is
to make it as enjoyable as possible in order to lessen our
stress levels. Investing in a comfortable seat cushion or a
relaxing back rest can do wonders for our frame of mind. Singing
or whistling in the car can be another effective stress-reducer.
Playing games with your children--such as trying to spot
out-of-state license plates--can be yet another effective
stress-reducing technique. Chances are you will not be able to
reduce your stress level overnight. Many of us have become quite
used to stress on the road. However, by trying to make our trips
as pleasant as possible, we can go a long way to lessening
driving-induced stress.