Driving through today’s city streets, busy intersections, and ultra-fast highways require patience. It’s easy to lose your temper and experience road rage when another driver does something that could endanger the traffic safety or lives of other road users. The question now is how to deal with it? How can you control that seething temper when another motorist is getting on your nerves? How do you recognize the symptoms of road rage and resolve them quickly? Below are ten tips for you on how to deal with road rage so you can drive safely.
What is Road Rage?
Road rage is when you lose your temper while driving. Almost everyone has experienced some form of road rage while driving. While most people can bounce back from their anger quickly, it can prove deadly in some situations.
How to Deal With Road Rage
1. Have a good night’s sleep
One of the most common reasons that tempers soar on the road is poor quality or lack of sleep. Your mind needs to be at its best whenever you are on the road. It must integrate the visual and auditory signals that come from the eyes and ears.
But how do you expect the brain to integrate and process these bits of information well when it didn’t get enough rest, especially when you consider all the benefits of sleep? Therefore, it’s better to give up any aggressive driving plan during the day if you didn’t sleep well at night.
If that activity you need to do is something you can’t skip, it’s best to have someone drive you to your destination. If you have an important meeting the next day, you should go to bed much earlier than usual.
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When we don’t sleep well, we’ll likely experience more impatience caused by the limbic system. When you don’t sleep well, the limbic system forces you to be in fight or flight when you’re sleep-deprived so that you can best protect yourself. People’s emotions are usually not well managed when in a state of fight or flight, making violence and road rage more common when you’re feeling sleepy.
2. Exit before
Sometimes a good night’s sleep isn’t enough. The traffic situation in the city can go from smooth to jam-packed in only a short time. You may find yourself caught in a situation where you’re cursing the traffic. Most people don’t enjoy being stuck in traffic when they have somewhere they need to be or if they’re exhausted from a long day at work.
Tempers flare every time traffic stalls. When you’re driving first thing in the morning or after work, it tends to be peak times when others are on the road. If you’re already familiar with the traffic situation in your area, avoid leaving your home during rush hour. You’ll have to go much earlier to help you avoid road rage. The earlier you leave for work and from work, the less likely you’ll get stuck in traffic, allowing you to drive calmly and minimize the risk of road rage.
If the roads start to get busy at 7 a.m., maybe you should be on the road by 6 a.m. It may seem too early, but at least you won’t be the kind of time pressure that causes road rage. Also, you may have free time to do other things.
3. Listen to softer music
Studies show that the more intense the music you’re listening to, your heartbeat will beat stronger. So, it’s not surprising that many of aggressive drivers or those involved in road rage incidents have their radios or music players tuned to the max.
When you listen to music that beats your chest and hits the bass, you stimulate your heart to pump faster and louder. The brain recognizes this and sends out a flood of chemicals that can make you feel so alive.
Unfortunately, these also make you more aggressive and vulnerable to aggression and temper. So, turn down the bass and listen to some good instrumental, classical, or love songs. Better yet, why not listen to something fun or mellow so you can drive calmly?
The world’s most relaxing song is Weightless by Marconi Union. Give that song a try the next time you go for a drive. You’ll likely notice that your emotions won’t be in high gear, allowing you to drive peacefully to your next destination. You can also listen to positive songs to help keep you upbeat.
4. Take a deep breath to calm road rage
There will always be times when you feel like losing your temper. You can feel it in your hands as they squeeze the steering wheel. Your heart starts to race. Your senses become more intense. You know you are about to explode when your thoughts go into overdrive. But before you do, pause.
Count from 1 to 5 as you breathe in through your nose. It is best to do it very slowly until you can feel your lungs fill with air. Now hold it for a couple of seconds. Purse your lips as if to whistle. Exhale for a count of 6 to 10. Your exhale should be longer than your inhale to maximize the benefits of breathing deeply.
