Over 76% of Americans make a daily commute to work by driving. For many of them, this trip tends to be pretty stressful. However, there are some ways you can reduce the stress you usually experience…
Daily Commute: Improving the Experience
Plan ahead
Doing a bit of preparation and planning ahead can help make your daily commute a bit easier. For example, it might be helpful to get things like your clothes or lunch ready the night before than in the morning. That way, you have some extra time by leaving a bit earlier. This can help you avoid that stress of trying to avoid being late.
It’s also useful to check navigation apps before you go. You might not think you need them, but they can provide useful information. Most notably, they can let you know how bad traffic is and why. That way, you can be prepared for delays, or find possible alternate routes before you head out.
Listen to music
Listening to music can also help you deal with your daily commute. Being stuck in traffic is stressful enough. Add in aggressive drivers, and you can end up making it to work very upset. Throwing on some good music, though, can make it a bit easier to relax.
When people listen to music they like, their mood tends to improve and stress tends to decrease. Putting together a good playlist can make that commute a bit more tolerable. If you want to add some variety, you can use your commute to listen to new music, or music you’ve had other recommend to you.
Avoid your phone
One thing you don’t want to do on your daily commute is use your phone. It can be tempting to go on our phone when we’re stuck in traffic. Constant notifications can make you want to check it even more. The stop-and-go traffic that tends to come with commutes also makes people think it’s “safe” to do so, unlike at other times.
The thing is, it’s never safe to use your phone when driving. Doing so will distract you from the road and increase the chances of you getting into an accident. Furthermore, most states have laws in place making texting or phone use when driving illegal. These dangers will just add more stress, not remove it!