Staying cool in a traffic jam

WHETHER we're talking about that rush hour traffic or road mishaps or a road construction project that has one lane of traffic closed, traffic jams are perhaps the most frustrating situations we can find ourselves in. If you are like most people, you want to get to where you're going without having to wait.

 

Traffic jams can and will leave you hopelessly stuck with nowhere to go until dozens of cars in front of you begin moving again as they were before you found yourself in this mess to begin with. With that established, it is virtually certain that if you can manage to keep your cool in the midst of a traffic jam, you will be able to remain calm in just about any situation. 

How to keep your cool in a traffic jam is all about learning how to manage your frustrations and anger over being stuck in the traffic jam to ensure the safety of all in your vehicle and of other road users. Everyone has seen horrific incidents of drivers clearly frustrated by being stuck in a traffic jam doing stupid and/or risky things and putting themselves and others at risk. This is something to be avoided at all cost, so it is better to consider ways to keep your cool in advance the next time you are stuck in a traffic jam. 

The first step in learning how to keep your cool in a traffic jam is to practice simple anger management techniques. Open the car window and take deep, cleansing breaths one after another. This may not apply of course in a smog-filled city center but can help in other locales. This helps to alleviate anger, stress and consequently frustration. 

Put the radio on and find a station playing some soothing, perhaps classical, music. Even better, keep a CD of the same in the car and pop it in the CD player when stuck in a traffic jam. Certain types of music are capable of having a very calming effect on all of us, although the types of music which have this effect will vary from individual to individual. 

Try not to dwell upon the consequences of being stuck in the traffic jam. Even if it is going to make you late for the most important meeting of your life, know that there is quite simply nothing that you can do about it and that the issue can and will be dealt with at a later time. Dreading the consequences of being stuck in the traffic jam is a certain way to build up frustration and perhaps cause it to boil over. 

Try thinking about something totally unrelated to the traffic jam. Perhaps there is something in your life which you have been trying to find time to work out. Take the time to do so while stuck in the traffic jam and therefore essentially utilize time which would otherwise be wasted. It could even be in this instance that being stuck in the traffic jam turns out to be a blessing in disguise as a different problem is resolved in this way. 

Whatever tips you engage regarding keeping your cool in a traffic jam, remember also to keep due attention upon what is happening within the traffic jam. Take every safe opportunity to move through it but do not take unnecessary risks and in the fullness of time, you will arrive safely at your destination.

(Issue of Oct. 3-9, 2011)