When you get out of your car, do you have a headache, a queasy stomach, and your blood pressure is through the roof? If you do, stress may have caused your heart rate to go through the roof. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that the stress of commuting is bad for health in a big way. According to the study, it directly causes the body to release stress hormones and raise blood pressure. Not only that, but long commutes (more than 18 miles one way) may also increase the chance of having a heart attack because they expose people to high levels of air pollution, which seems to be a risk factor for heart disease.
Even though there is no way to make a stressful commute less stressful, there are many ways to keep the energy vulture away. Here are some ways to do well while driving.
- Get ready ahead of time
One of the best ways to avoid road rage is to do everything you need to do the night before. To avoid a rush in the morning, clothes, papers, attache cases, and even lunches should be set out the night before. With everything ready to go, you'd have more time to do your morning tasks, eat a good breakfast, and spend quality time with your family. Best of all, you can speed down the highway without having to wait in line.
- Get enough sleep and get up early
The body feels better after a good night's sleep. Make it a habit to go to bed early and get up early. If you were already stressed out the day before, not getting enough rest adds to that stress and makes it harder to deal with at work and at home. The more frustrated you get at work, the less smart you get, and the worse you feel at home. You have no energy left for enjoying life.
- Keep track of your work hours
Why drive on the freeways with everyone else who works from 9 to 5 when you can try a 10 to 6 or an 8 to 4 shift? Depending on the rules of your company, try to find other shifts that work for you. Choose one that will help you get rid of stress that drains your energy and ease your worries about driving.
- Give someone a ride
Carpooling is worth the trouble of figuring out how to meet up and leave with one or two other people. Studies have shown that ridesharing makes commuting a lot less stressful. When people carpool, there is less pollution of the air and noise, less traffic congestion, and people can relax more while someone else drives.
- Make your car a "cocoon"
Instead of getting upset when traffic is slow, make good use of your time. You can take your mind off the stop-and-go driving and traffic jams by listening to the radio or putting in a music tape. Check out books on cassette if you like to read but don't have time to turn the pages of a book. There are both full-length and shortened versions of books on tape at many libraries. You can also learn a new language or do some car exercises like shoulder rolls, neck extensions, and tummy tucks to help you stay awake and calm down.
- Rest your back on a pillow and wiggle
When you stand up, the lower part of your back, called the lumbar region, usually curves in toward your stomach. But when you sit, it tends to sag outward, putting pressure on your spinal discs and making them hurt. Malcolm Pope, Ph.D., director of the Iowa Spine Research Center at the University of Iowa, says that putting a rolled-up towel or pillow in that lumbar area can help support your back. Even with a back pillow, sitting still for more than 15 minutes makes you stiffer, so make the necessary changes for a comfortable drive on longer trips. For example, you can try putting most of your weight on one buttock and then the other. Then, move your seat or your buttocks just a little bit. You could even slide down in your seat and then sit back up for fun.
- Go to the gym after work
Since people are tired after a long day of work, the evening rush is worse than the morning rush, so it's best to wait it out. To get rid of stress, go to a gym near your office or take a meditation class. If you want to go out to dinner, see a movie, or do some shopping, try to do these things close to work so you can avoid the crazy rush.
- Stop and take a break
It might be a good idea to take a break from work. Today, many companies offer shorter work hours or longer work days so that you can have days off to relax.
- Change where you work
If you have to drive a long way to your job every day, ask your boss if you can work from home some days of the week or if there are jobs close to where you live. A different work schedule would make you feel less tense and more in charge, which would lower your stress level.
Changing how you usually get to work every so often might also be a good idea. Try walking or riding a bike once in a while for a change. There's nothing like a good walk to help you relax, especially if it keeps you from having to drive in rush-hour traffic.
By making getting to work less stressful, you save a lot of energy that you might have lost due to a stressful commute. It gives you a lot more energy to do your job and makes you more productive. It also makes you feel good and gives you a good reason to always start your day right.
