Kathleen Hall, special to wtop.com
WASHINGTON — Choose not to be “the victim of your commute.”
During your commute you may experience impatience, anger and frustration, which causes increases in stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
Commuting creates chronic stress that can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, impair your immune system and accelerate aging.
Choose power and health for your commute. You are choosing healing serotonin and endorphins instead of lots of stress hormones when you are mindful during your commute.
Mindful Commuting Tips
- Awareness. Become aware of what you are experiencing inside and outside as you commute. Is are heart racing? Are your hands tight on the steering wheel? Do you have a scowl on your face? What are you aware of on the outside? Are you aware of your five senses? Focus on what you are seeing around you. Nature is constantly changing. Become aware of each season as the trees and weather change daily. What neighborhoods and people do you see on your commute?
- Thoughts. What are you thinking? Is your mind clear or is it racing as you worry or make lists as you commute? Most of us are mindless during our commutes and unaware of the thoughts that are creating the release of stress hormones or relaxing hormones.
- Habit vs. Practice. A habit is mindless actions that are done as a reflex with little awareness. A practice is an action where you are mindful and aware of what you are thinking and what you are doing. Try to use your commute as a learning experience of how you can change your habitual life to a mindful life of less stress and happiness.
- Positive Affirmation. Research shows repeating a short positive statement when you are stressed during your commute reduces your stress. I repeat these, “Breathe deeply … smile often,” and when I am in a hurry is slow my mind and body down by repeating, “I have all the time I need.” Create your own short affirmation that you love.
- Community. Isolation increases your stress, and when you feel part of a community it reduces your stress. As you drive imagine you are not alone but that you are part of a community or family. Imagine you are part of the WTOP family as you commute. You can learn a lot, know what traffic to avoid and become part of a larger vibrant community.
Just remember, “Breathe deeply. Smile often.”
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