Most of us have experienced some form of road rage or anxiety while driving. The one thing that is certain is that if you act on those impulses, you are sure to land yourself in some hot water.
Anxiety on the road can be caused by many things, but you can do something about it. You don’t have to drive around with this monkey on your back that can cause you to snap at any moment.
Here are a couple of tips you can use to ease your anxiety on the road.
Treat the Real Cause First
In most cases, the anxiety that we experience on the road is caused by another stress altogether. If you don’t know what is stressing you out, you are going to have a hard time getting your anxiety on the road under control.
Your subconscious will constantly take you to that place of stress and when you add that to the responsibility that you have on the road, it could spiral out of control and wind you up into a bad situation.
Once you know what the root of your anxiety is, you can address it and your anxiety on the road will also dissipate.
Clean your Car
Although you might not think it has an effect on your, clutter has the ability to stress you out. When your car is a mess on the inside, it can become distracting and cause you to become anxious on the road.
When you feel uneasy in your car and it is a mess, take some time and clean it out. Send it for a valet service to get that fresh and new smell back into your car. You’ll feel proud of your ride and less anxious.
Do Car Maintenance
Car maintenance is a major cause of anxiety on the road, especially if your car has failed you in the past. A bad experience in the past has the ability to come back and haunt you if you don’t deal with it.
Doing regular maintenance on your car will give you peace of mind that your car is in good working condition and shouldn’t fail you in the middle of nowhere, or even worse, when you are on a busy highway. You won’t fear that your brakes will fail or that your engine will suddenly stop working.
Choose your Driving Time
If busy roads stress you out, perhaps you should change to a driving time when the roads are not as busy. Plan your trips before or after peak traffic to lessen your stress.
If you cannot avoid driving during peak traffic, try and find routes that are less congested.
Apps like WAZE and Google Maps are great at pointing out the congestion or where the traffic is the heaviest. Rather take a road less traveled and give yourself some space to relax, even if the road is longer.
Be Mindful
If you’ve ever been in an accident, then the chances you have some form of residual anxiety every time you get behind the wheel. It might not be easy for you to get over the stress, but if you practice being mindful of what is around you, you will feel safer behind the wheel.
When you feel that you are starting to grip the wheel too tightly or that you feel panicky, then you need to take stock of where you are, assess what is around you and realize that you are safe.
Tackle It the Same Way
Anxiety on the road is the same as any other form of anxiety and you can tackle it in the same way. Getting enough sleep is one of the best remedies for anxiety. You feel much more refreshed and sharp on the road, which gives you a better sense of control, allows you to think more clearly and ultimately make decisions while driving.
The one thing you should allow yourself though, is more time. Anxiety is not something that you can get rid of that easily.
Don’t beat yourself up if your anxiety does not go away on the first try. You can expect anxiety, but if you keep at it, it will eventually reduce.
Tobias Foster is a writer, journalist and editor with more than 5 years’ work experience. He is currently working with academic writing portal https://dissertation-today.com/ and his latest work is college-paper.org reviews. His areas of interest include philosophy, marketing, and business management. He has a wealth of knowledge in his area of work and is a true master of his craft.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
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“Road Rage” was invented when the then-new air bags (1970’s?) were killing people, to divert attention from the air bag “problem.”