We’ve all seen it–the road rage beast. We’ve all been that very beast ourselves. It’s never a pretty picture. And the fact is, nobody is benefiting when this beast rears its mean head.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to tame the road rage beast, especially when your career involves a significant amount of driving. There’s always places to go, people to see, schedules to keep. And people in vehicles are always getting in the way!
Tips to Tame Your Road Rage
It’s one thing to notice poor driving and respond by driving more defensively yourself. It’s an entirely different thing to let that driver know exactly how you feel about their poor driving through yelling, honking, tailgating, or other crude behaviors. These tips are for the taming of the road rage beast that rises up out of all of us every now and then:
Catch up on your Zs.
Getting more sleep is a great concept that can be difficult to live out. But if your rage is burning hot before you’ve pulled all the way out of your driveway, sleep deprivation could be the culprit. Let’s face it, we’re cranky when we’re tired. We’re prone to losing our tempers more easily and potentially doing things we wouldn’t normally do. Shoot for the ideal 8 hours every night.
Take a breather.
If you feel the rage growing, take a moment to intentionally take a breather. Loosen your grip on the wheel. Relax your shoulders. Take deep, slow breaths. Turn your focus away from the fault and onto more productive things.
Calm yourself down.
Here’s the thing- while bass thumping music can get you all revved up and ready for a day of hustle, it could potentially contribute to your short fuse. If you’re prone to road rage, choose calmer music such as classical or jazz. Go for the calm and peaceful start to your day.
Get off the road.
The monster is raging red and no amount of breathing or calm music stands a chance against it. It’s time to pull over. Driving with road rage is not only rude, it’s rather dangerous. Once you’re safely off the road, try taking that breather again.
Make a plan.
If your mornings are chaotic and you’re always rushing out the door without a minute to spare, you’re only feeding the beast. Plan ahead in whatever way is necessary so you’re not always in a hurry. That extra 3 seconds the old lady took to go on the green feels like a minute and a half when you’re running behind. It’s the perfect recipe for road rage.
Don’t take it personally.
As silly as it sounds, we often take someone’s poor driving personally. They must’ve cut in front of you to spite you, right? It was totally on purpose that they slowed to turn only to speed up again. Believe it or not, that super annoying driver was very likely not thinking about you at all. Instead of taking each bad driving move as a personal snub, consider the human inside that vehicle. Could they be having as stressful a day as you? Maybe worse?
Does your beast rage regularly? Utilize these tips for the sake of your fellow drivers as well as your own safety. Whether you drive for a living or simply need to get from point A to point B and back each day, tame the beast and drive safely!
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