Driving in Traffic: Steps for Commuter Stress Management

4th June, 2011 - Posted by L. John Mason -

Recently, I was working in Southern California and, naturally, I had to drive around in the “Southland.” If you live in Southern California (SoCal) or if you visit there, you quickly findout two things. First, public transportation can be very difficult because SoCal is so spreadout that it is hard to get from here to there, conveniently, on buses, metro, trains, or street cars (which were removed in the 1950’s to make more room for the conveyance of choice, the automobile.) Secondly, there are so many people in SoCal that they require a lot of vehicles. In SoCal, cars have shaped the landscape. Suburbs built on old orange groves and bean fields allowed people to live in houses, “condos,” and apartments which were built for the multitudes, without great planning, and not too close to the places where these people have to work. In SoCal, people often express themselves through the type of vehicles they own and use. There are “status” cars, SUV’s which can go “off road” without any “off road” to go on, “Hummers,” Recreational vehicles, motorcycles, family vehicles, like mini-vans, gas saving “Hybrids,” and of course, basic “Economy” cars. Gas guzzling “status” vehicles are my personal choice as a demonstration of the lack of social responsibilty and common sense, but I would be in the minority in SoCal.

“LA is a great big freeway…” is how a famous song from the 1960’s goes. SoCal lifestyle has developed a technology for traversing the Southland called freeways. Freeways are not free, in fact, they are expensive. In SoCal, the freeways tend to be big. Many lanes for traffic. This tends to increase the attractiveness for more cars on the road and so more traffic and so reduced speeds especially during peak hours like sunrise to sunrise. Time is lost when commuters have to commute, slowly, from home to work (or school, or shopping, or the beach, etc) and then again back home. Working at home would be a favorable idea, if at all possible.

Getting stuck in traffic has become a Southern California lifestyle. Getting frustrated in traffic has become a Southern California sport. A recently defined term was born out of SoCal traffic frustration called “Road Rage.” In SoCal, there has been several outbreaks of shootouts with death and injury due to road rage frustration and inappropriate reactions to the “traffic.” Most “normal” people, and there are some “normal” people in SoCal, find that stress and frustration from driving in traffic can shorten their lives by raising blood pressure, increasing heart rates and anxiety, and possibly contributing to pulmonary (lung) problems.

With this in mind, I began coaching people in the 1980’s on how to minimize the impact of traffic related stress. Unexpectedly, I discovered that by practicing forms of commuter stress management my clients not only reduced their anxiety but many found that they were able to increase their over-all levels of productivity and general well-being. Like studies which found that the people in France who have a lifestyle of drinking small amounts of wine on a daily basis and have less cardio-vascular disease and live longer, people in California who regularly practice commuter stress management, feel better, are more productive, and generally have fewer stress related health problems than people who do not regularly practice commuter stress management.

When I coach stress management to people who are medically referred to my services, I will often ask that these people sit comfortably, or better still, lie down, undisturbed, for 20 minutes once or twice a day. Many of the people will use a biofeedback monitor to determine if their bodies are actually responding to the stress management and so moving into a peaceful state of deep relaxation. This is good, unless you are driving on the freeways in traffic. When driving, you should refrain from closing your eyes and going to a deep, internal peaceful place. At home, this would be great to be able to do, but driving in traffic with closed eyes would be dangerous. Almost as dangerous as “text-messaging” in an angry argument with your significant other… DO NOT DO THIS!!!

Commuter stress management often implies that you are familiar with your route to and from work (or where ever you are communting) and that you can relax enough to not worry about where you need to get off the freeway. It is best when you arrange for this piece of time when you do not have to talk on the telephone or process too much of your work in your mind as you drive. (Sometimes this is easier said than done, but you can ALWAYS TURN THE PHONE OFF, at least for a few minutes…) Most people will benefit from coaching on how best to incorporate this program into their specific lives but the following are the basic details of the commuter stress management program. If you happen to be a passenger, AND NOT DRIVING, this can be easier…

1. Keep your eyes open and your hands on the wheel!

2. Take three deep slow breaths. Begin to check your body for unnecessary muscle tension… Check your arms, legs, stomach, back, eyes/forehead, jaw and where ever else you normally hold your muscle tension. AND, begin to release this tension.

3. As you keep your eyes open, continue to breathe slowly and gently feel unwanted tension or emotions begin to be released as you slowly exhale… (This may take some practice, but over time this can work for you…)

4. Perhaps you can focus on the warmth of the sunshine coming through the windows… or… feel yourself slowly and gently sinking back into your seat as you let your shoulders drop and your jaw release.

5. With practice, you can allow your mind to become more calm and peaceful as you KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN but allow your distracting thoughts to flow from you better with every exhale.

6. Many people will then enjoy a game of discovery where they will look out into their world and find something new, that perhaps they have never noticed, along their regular commute. I encourage that you look for something from nature like a cloud formation, or a tree or bird that you have never noticed. Appreciate the new natural beauty that you have found and realize that this discovery has been a gift for you to observe. My clients are amazed at how much stuff they have driven by until they start looking for the unique or beautiful things that fill the world around them. Sometimes man made structures can feel like art.

7. Before you get out of your vehicle, at the end of your commute, again take three slow breaths. Relax your shoulders, your jaw, and your forehead. Let yourself sink back into your seat, one last time before you shut off the vehicle. As you get out, take a slow, gentle stretch and one more deep slow breath before you get on with the rest of your day.

8. It can help if you park a little further from the door than you might be able, so you can walk a few more steps between your vehicle and the front door.

9. If you have had a traumatic experience on your travels, consider taking a few extra moments to slow down and to relax as you let go of the events that may have caused you distress before you get on with your day.

Some people benefit from having a CD or MP3 of these commuter instructions to listen to. This is available through the Stress Education Center’s website as a downloadable product.

I have several choices on how I drive to the office. Unless I am in a BIG hurry, I will usually drive along the more rural route which for me is around Penn Cove so I can count Bald Eagles or catch a view of the Cascades and possibly Mt. Baker. For me, this assists me at work or allows me to arrive at home in a better frame of mind.

Good luck to you as you find the best way to use your commute to trigger a relaxation that will enable you to focus better and accomplish more during your work day. If you feel that you could benefit from some coaching and support consider contact us at the Stress Education Center at www.dstress.com and Please take good care of yourself.