There’s no question that, as drivers, we can find our selves stressed out as we glide our big, bad buggies over the roadways.

There’s even less question that if we’re stressed out when we drive, we may not be on top our driving game.  Who can concentrate on driving when stress is monopolizing the thoughts?  And isn’t concentration what safe driving is really all about?  Me thinks maybe so!

In preparing for this article I put on my Driverthinking cap once again, and began to recall some of the more memorable times that I found myself stressed out while driving.

Was it on the way to a very important job interview when all I could focus on was what I would say, or how I would answer the myriad of relevant or as likely, irrelevant questions I would be asked?  That kind of stressed me out – especially when I missed the turnoff to get to the place!  At times I wasn’t sure I was even behind the wheel.

How about the time I was late taking Grand Kiddy to his baseball game?  Then I got the call from the coach saying if I didn’t get him to the game twenty minutes ago, they would forfeit – and it would be Junior’s fault.  Hmmm!  How does my little munchkin face his team mates after that one?

What about that time when I wasn’t focusing and tried to jump an intersection orange light without first clearing the intersection from further back behind that bus waiting to turn left?  Yeah, that “Intersection Road Hazard that could’ve killed me”.

I didn’t see that Eighteen wheeler buzzing through on my left, until his big ole’ bumper seemed like it was only about four feet from my door handle and its loud ole’ horn was violating every molecule in my body.  Yeah!  Guess that kind of stressed me out.

Has anyone else had such uniquely stressful driving encounters?  Could it possibly be I’m not just the only one? 

In trying to dissect stress when we’re driving, it seems to me we can break it down into two types of stress.  There will be the External Stress and then of course, the Driving Related Stress.

The External Stress is that stress we face from non-driving issues.  It’s those mind absorbing problems that we all occasionally face, that stick with us as we slide behind the wheel.  Being late to an important appointment quickly comes to mind.

Driving Related Stress is the stress we develop ourselves, by driving too aggressively or from not being confident behind the wheel.  Whether from our own actions or others, the driving environment is making us bonkers.

So what’s a driver to do?  After all, we drivers all share one very distinctly common trait.  We’re also human beings!  Human beings will tend to get stressed out just every once in a while – not often, just a few hundred times a day.

Whether we’re driving or not, there are basically two ways we can handle stress.  We can “deal with it”, or we can “ignore it” and keep on suffering.

When driving, the “deal with it” option is probably preferable.

Here are some thoughts on how to deal with driving stress.  Could they work for you?

First we must recognize it.  Then we can analyze it.  Then we’ve got to deal with it.

• Learn to consciously recognize when you’re a stressed out driver.

• Analyze what’s causing the stress.  Is it External or Driving Related Stress?

If it’s External Stress, break it down.

What’s causing it?  Are you late?  Did you just have a “conversation” that you’re brain won’t stop obsessing about?

• Can you come to grips with it – at least while you’re driving?  Can you put it on the “back burner”?  If you’re late, can you accept that, and deal with the consequences later? You’ll be later still – if you go “screech, crunch”, or if you get pulled over for a chit-chat with a uniform. 

• A great way to alleviate stress is to do something that requires your full attention.  Remind yourself that driving is such an endeavor, and focus on your driving as the activity to actually reduce stress.

If it’s Driving Related Stress, you can:

• Force yourself to recognize it.  When all of the other drivers around me seem to be acting insane, I’ve been known to audibly question myself.  “Geeze!  Is it me?”

• Define it.  Are you taking risks?  Are you driving on the edge?  What’s actually causing you to go bonkers?

• Fix it!  Maybe it’s you.  Perhaps it’s others.  Might want to change your driving style for a few miles, though.

Stress while driving.  We’ve got to recognize it, analyze it and deal with it.  Only then, can we chill out and drive!

My thanks for this article to Shelley Jamieson who suggested the topic.

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