How to De-Stress During a Long Drive

Road trips or getting home for the holidays, hitting the open road can be both exciting and aggravating. Highway traffic, getting stuck behind someone in the left lane going 10 miles below the speed limit or a less-than-reliable car can take a toll on your nerves and patience. It’s nearly always easier to have a companion on these trips; but even if you’re on your own it’s possible to take it easy and de-stress when you’re on the road. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

How to De-Stress During a Long Drive

1. Bring someone along. If you’re in college, toward semester breaks other students will be looking for a ride home. See if any of your friends are in this position. If not, check out the student center for ride requests posted somewhere. If you decide to offer a ride to a fellow student heading home, talk to them a couple of times to confirm that your personalities will mesh and to gauge your comfort level. You’ll be in close quarters for a while.
2. Find your favorite tunes. Music does soothe the savage beast and being able to bop, sing or mellow along with the melodies streaming out of the speakers is a huge step toward relaxing behind the wheel. Traveling long distances can send you across the dial trying to find a radio station you like in each region. It can be aggravating and distracting.
3. Take the road less traveled. Particularly if you have a companion it can be more relaxing to stay away from the major highways. See if there are more scenic routes available. Around the holidays traffic is maddening. The average interstate is also boring.
4. Take breaks. Irritability can stem from being tired or hungry. Be sure to keep yourself fed and hydrated. If you start to get sleepy stop as soon as you can safely. You could also map out some of the country’s great (and odd) attractions at Roadside America and schedule brief stops at them. You need to stretch your legs anyway.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow plenty time for your trip. Rushing does not lower stress levels.
• If you’re traveling alone and you decide to take less traveled routes, be sure your car is reliable and your cell phone is in working order. You don’t want to get yourself stranded.
• When picking your traveling music, consider how long you’ll be in the car. For an eight-hour trip, compiling one hour of music is not going to help.