Have you ever gotten extremely angry when the person in front of you cuts you off or drives excessively slow? We’ve all gotten frustrated behind the wheel before but if you are experiencing feelings of extreme rage, anxiousness and irritability you may be having a burst of road rage. From personal experience, I believe that these incidents are more likely to occur in the mornings when people are in a hurry to get to their place of employment in a timely fashion.
One simple way to lessen the chances of road rage occurring is to leave around fifteen minutes earlier than you usually do. It’s important to do so because you can never anticipate road conditions. There might be significant slowing on the streets due to a major accident and certain streets may be blocked off. One time I left work to only discover that the nearest major street with a freeway on ramp was closed off and I was forced to enter the 405 freeway on another street. Not only did this make my route longer but the line to enter the freeway was extremely long and set me back around 15 minutes. Leaving a bit earlier gives you extra time in case something slows you down on the road.
Taking a moment to take deep breaths is another way to stay cool and collected. If you find yourself getting angry frequently behind the wheel you might want to consider meditating a few times a week. It’s a great way to lessen tension overall.
If you are anxious and stressed out you’re more likely to snap and have bouts of rage behind the wheel. One easy way of improving your mood is to exercise vigorously at least three times a week. Exercising regularly increases endorphins which elevates mood, and it’s a great tension reliever. Sleeping at least eight hours a day can also help to make you feel less tense and more relaxed.
Don’t forget that there is another human being behind the wheel of the car in front of you. A lot of times when we get angry on the road we can depersonalize it by being angry at that “slow car in front of us” but remember inside every car is a real person; perhaps even one we might like if we were to meet them under circumstances.