How to Stay Sane in Traffic

Driving in traffic is stressful, exhausting, and at times enraging. There are plenty of things you can do on your commute to stay sane and safe.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• music
• books on cd
• positive attitude
• coffee
• alert mind

1. Before you get in your car brew a good cup of coffee and pour it in a to-go mug. Stopping in traffic is stressful, and this way you won't have to think about stopping to get your caffeine fix.
2. Get online and go to a website that will tell you what routes have traffic jams. Sigalert.com is a good choice and makes it easy to see which freeways are experiencing traffic jams through a five color system. Red means severe traffic jams, orange means moderate traffic jams, yellow is minor traffic, blue means traffic is going around 30 mph, and green you're in the clear!
3. Once you get in your car, roll down the windows to get some fresh air on your face. This will help you stay awake and alert in traffic. If it's cold outside, put the heater on and direct it at your feet and roll down the windows just a little so you still get fresh air.
4. Make sure you have traffic maps or a good set of directions if you are going somewhere for the first time. Concerns of getting lost or getting delayed because you don't know where you are going only add to the stress of driving in traffic.
5. Turn on your local radio and find out relevant traffic information- if any traffic jams have cleared up or changed while you have been driving you can take alternate routes.
6. Put in a CD of upbeat music to keep you positive and energized while driving. If you are sick of all your music, invest in some books on CDs. They provide an incredible distraction from the traffic around you and also provide an opportunity to catch up on the good literature you haven't read because you've been stuck in traffic!
7. For some laugh out loud entertainment while you drive, check out David Sedaris'Me Talk Pretty One Day. It is a 5 CD set and is a semi autobiographical story of the author's life. It is witty, sarcastic and highly enjoyable!