When it comes to getting from A to B there are a bunch of different factors that can heap unnecessary stress on you – it’s the last thing you need while you’re driving.
Whether that’s range anxiety, sudden changes to your route or nerves around where you’re leaving your car when you reach your destination, stress and anxiety can ruin your trip.
Thankfully, there are ways around a lot of these issues that can restore calm to your commute and make getting around that little bit easier.
Have a plan B route
Getting stuck in traffic is a pain in the neck at the best of times, especially if you need to get somewhere by a certain time or if you are in a hurry.
This is why planning your route in advance is so important. Not only so you have an idea of how long it will take to get somewhere, but also so you can figure out alternative routes if something goes wrong.
The National Highways Agency website keeps a record of all planned roadworks in an area, so it’s well worth checking before you even set off if there’s going to be any possible delays to your journey.
Armed with that knowledge you can make decisions that make your journey a bit easier. Whether that’s an alternate route or setting off a bit earlier.
This gives you some extra breathing room and takes the stress out of your journey, which if you’re covering a lot of distance makes the whole drive a lot more tolerable.
This gives you some extra breathing room and takes the stress out of your journey, which if you’re covering a lot of distance makes the whole drive a lot more tolerable.
Pre-book your parking
We’ve all done it, stared at Google Maps before we set off trying to work out where to park.
There’s nothing worse than making it almost to your destination and struggling to find a parking space.
Parking anxiety is a major cause of stress, and when you add the need for a charging space or parking in an unfamiliar area to the mix it’s a nightmare.
Pre-booking gets rid of a lot of this. Searching for parking in the area you need it gives you a clear destination and lets you make sure you’ve got parking sorted for your entire trip. Arranging your parking should be a major part of your trip planning anyway, but knowing exactly where you want to park and having an idea of what time you need to arrive, much like with planning around traffic, lets you know when you should set off.
Up-to-date information
It’s great to plan and make sure you’re prepared for your trip, it helps to build confidence before you travel and keeps any unwanted nerves at bay.
Doing all your prep the night before, so you know everything you need is packed and ready to load into the car is a great start. It lets you sleep that night knowing you’re prepared.
It’s important to protect that confident feeling by making sure your information is up to date. Before you set off it’s worth giving everything a double check to see if there are any new road works, delays or other issues that might impact your journey.
Check an hour or two before you’d need to set off, it gives you an extra window to hit the road early. It’s then worth having someone on the trip keeping an eye on any other updates just in case or listening out for your sat nav suggesting a diversion.
Time for a break
It isn’t just your prep beforehand that eliminates stress, there are important things to be mindful of while you’re on your journey that keep stress at bay.
Breaks are vital, not only to keep you away from having to pull up at the side of the road (you know why) but also to get a chance to recharge, stretch your legs and let any kids or pets run off some excess energy.
It helps make smaller passengers less fidgety and irritable, which makes life easier for everyone else in the car and gets rid of any potential distractions or tantrums while you’re trying to focus on the road.
En route entertainment
Music is important, whether it’s the radio or a carefully curated playlist of songs that you know you’re going to absolutely nail every note on while you drive, having something to listen to is a great way to relax into a drive and helps some of that stress melt away.
Just be careful of the songs you choose, the last thing you need is a bunch of songs that get you really amped up and your trip ends up with you getting done for speeding.
Other entertainment is important too, especially if you’re travelling with kids. iPads, (quiet) toys and games are all ideal ways to keep people distracted and help the miles go by quickly.
Road snacks
Having someone feed you sweets while you drive feels incredibly fancy and helps keep you focussed on the road.
Snacks are another great distraction for kids and other passengers too. Just make sure that whatever you opt for can’t be spilled, doesn’t stink and is easily hoovered out of the gaps in your seats once your trip is over.
The whole point is to help you drive with less stress, not suddenly add to it with the realisation you’ve ruined the upholstery in your car.
How do you keep stress at bay when you’re driving?
Let us know over on our social media channels.
