How to keep your cool on the road this Holiday Season

Christmas is just around the corner. And in every corner, there is traffic build up especially those roads leading to malls and restaurants.

Here are some tips from askmen.com so roads you take don’t lead to jail:

Things To Do In A Traffic Jam

If you’re well prepared, you will even have some activities planned for yourself to break up the monotony of stopped motion. Here are some of my favorite traffic jam activities:

Listen To Audio Books

If you’ve never tried it, you might find yourself loving it. Popular novels are usually the most popular audio books, and for good reason — there’s nothing like a little Tom Clancy in the morning. On the more practical side of things, you can try learning a language. Raquel es abogada .

Catch Up On Phone Calls

I strongly discourage the use of cell phones while driving in general. But when you are in stop-and-go traffic, never going above 10 mph, and not changing lanes, phone calls are permissible. Get news from family or friends, or check your messages at the office so you are prepared for what awaits you. Always use your headset.

Listen To The Radio

Tune into your favorite radio station. This may be obvious to some, but others never think to turn it on, or to stop the CD shuffle for once. Alternating between all-talk and all-music stations can help prevent boredom. Also, having a favorite morning DJ is like having an old friend in the passenger seat; well, almost. For a wider variety of stations, you may want to opt for satellite radio.

Sing

It may sound crazy, but you’ve probably already done it (it’s funny what a little extra coffee can do to us). Clear your throat and get those pipes going. I… wanna rock and roll all night… You’d be surprised how good it’ll make you feel, even though those in the cars next to you will think you’re chemically imbalanced.

More ways to keep yourself busy during your morning commute

Have A Snack

Indulge in anything from an apple to a sandwich. You can have breakfast if you’re driving to work in the morning; just avoid anything messy.

Car Pool

Solitary boredom is one of the main contributing factors to traffic stress. Just having someone to talk to can make the time fly by. Plus, you’ll be saving the environment the extra fumes, and fellow drivers the extra space. Just be sure your car-pool buddy isn’t someone you hate — or worse, a backseat driver — as this will aggravate you even more.

Do Some Brainwork

In our cars, we often fall into routines that defy departure. For example, if you always have the radio blaring, you might never allow yourself time to think. If this is the case, change your driving routine and create a better thinking environment for yourself. You may even do some quality problem-solving. Run over upcoming projects in your mind and write down your ideas when you reach your destination.

Play A Game

Playing games always works better when you have passengers. If you’re alone, however, I don’t encourage breaking out “free cell” on the laptop during the commute, but why not count how many people in other cars are picking their noses. Come on, it’s fun…

Stretch

Most people don’t think about the body below their belt when driving slowly. That is, until they get of the car with a leg cramp and a sleeping foot. Occasionally, and with utmost caution, put the car in park when you’re at a dead stop, and lift your right thigh off the seat. Move both legs wherever they will go without getting stuck. Also, do arm stretches.

Acquiesce

If you know you’ll be stuck in traffic — and usually you should know, if you’re going to travel during rush hour or through construction — prepare mentally. Integral to the stress of being stuck is coming to terms with the fact that you’ll be late. But if you accept this fact beforehand, or are prepared for it, you won’t be surprised when you’re stopped dead in the middle of Route 99. And then you won’t be white-knuckling it all the way to the office.

Find out what you can do to avoid traffic-induced stress before you even leave the house

Before You Leave Next Time

We often have little time to think before racing out the door. But it is this very hastiness that turns into frustration when you first see the brake lights go on in front of you. By preparing yourself mentally ahead of time, you can start to alleviate your traffic jam scowl before you even get in the car. Consider these pointers:

Listen To Traffic Reports

This should be a part of every car traveler’s morning. When you check the reports, you not only learn what to expect, but you can factor delays into your commute time accordingly, since stations often give delay times.

Leave Early

This thought usually arrives about 30 minutes too late — when you’re actually stuck in traffic. For once, take the time to beat the rush. Lay your clothes out the night before, go to bed early, get up early, and miss the heart of rush hour. It will make your morning easier to deal with.

Have An Alternate Route

The savvy driver will have clever ways of circumventing the fray. It may even be worthwhile to take a “long-cut” — a route that takes a few minutes longer — if it saves you the mental strain of sitting in gridlock. Just don’t drive over any soccer fields or residential lawns.

Keep Your Cool

I won’t pretend that there is any way to make you actually like being stuck in traffic. Traffic jams are among the most loathsome obstacles in our daily routines. But cutting down on stress at this point can be a relief.

If you confront the beast, and try to be productive in its midst, you might find your mornings at work a bit more relaxed, and your winding-down time more pleasurable. Who knows — you might even start to enjoy the ride.