Do you find your daily commute to be stressful? Are you a basket of nerves and frustration by the time you reach your destination? If so, you are not alone. Driving is one of the most stressful things we do each day. There's no question that people often act differently behind the wheel. Driving seems to bring out a new side of people that often isn't seen. Someone who is typically shy and meek is suddenly aggressive. And it's no wonder, our cars are most likely the single most expensive thing we own (other than our house.) And lets not forget that we are transporting the most valuable cargo on the planet, our loved ones. Take into consideration, we are not mind readers; we have no idea what others are doing out there...is it that hard to use your signal light?
Obviously, some handle it better than others. People often seem to forget that there are also people in the other vehicles on the road. Each one of us just as human as the next. These big metal machines hide the humanity behind the wheel. Things are so different when we are placed face to face, if we happen to accidentally walk in front of someone at the mall we will quickly apologize for our mistake (well, most of us will.) And we are usually met with understanding, a smile and acknowledgement of our apology and everyone carries on as though nothing even happened. That same scenario on the road can have a dramatically different outcome. Even if there is nothing serious that happens, just the unnerving feeling that something could have happened causes all kinds of anxiety. And of coarse, being hit hit by a large hunk of moving metal is going to cause serious problems: injury, insurance costs, repair bills, and possibly worse.
If we all do our part on the road we can alleviate some of the unnecessary stress of driving. There are a few things that can be done to help ease the frustration of driving:
1) Leave earlier than needed to reach your destination. If you give yourself more time it will allow for unexpected situations that can occur. Without the need to rush we end up much calmer and less stressed on the road.2) Accept the fact that you are behind schedule. If you are not able to get out of the door on time or you experience a delay it is important to realize that you are going to be late. There is little you can do to change it, just take a deep breath and accept the fact. Driving faster or more aggressive isn't going to change anything.
3) Follow the rules of the road. Yes that's right, use your signal light when you're turning! Letting others know what you are doing on the road can help prevent frustration for everyone out there. Don't use your cell phone while driving, keep your focus on what is going on around you. The rules are there to keep order and safety, when everyone abides by them things are a lot smoother.4) Forgive quickly. Yes, people are going to go out of turn, go too slow, cut you off, turn without warning, etc. When these situations arise just let it go. Anger is often met with anger, if you chose to just let it go you can prevent tempers from flaring on both sides. Mistakes happen, carry on.
6) Acknowledge kindness. If you come across one of those thoughtful hero's, be sure to show your appreciation. Give a smile, a nod, a wave, something to show your gratitude. Then, repay the kindness to someone else. Keep those positive vibes going, it can make a big difference to everyone out there.
The daily commute can be stressful. Unfortunately, we often spend more time on the road than we would like. Follow these few easy tips to help ease your driving frustrations. It is important that we all find ways to make it a more pleasant experience, it will go a long way to help improve our health and well being. Let's all do our part.
- Muriel Rolufs
