Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment. Being a mindful driver means watching the road ahead of you, managing your speed and steering, following a route or directions, and more, but it also means being mindful of when you might need to take a deep breath or even pullover to stop driving.
Life, work, school, plus traffic can make anyone frustrated. It’s in these moments that we should practice mindfulness. While sitting in traffic or construction can be annoying, we can only control how we respond. If you need a break, pull over and take a break! Being angry or sad while driving is distracting – sometimes the most mindful thing you can do is take a quick break to collect yourself.
Here’s what you can do when you’re feeling overwhelmed and need to calm down while driving:
Take a few deep breaths
Turn down your music, radio, or podcast. A bit of silence really helps you focus on driving and calming down.
Remember, “water off a duck’s back.” Sometimes you just have to let things go, like missing a light, getting cut off in your lane, or running late for an event.
Your safety is your top priority. If you speed while angry, you should take action to calm yourself down or just not drive while angry.
Pullover if you need to. Driving while emotional might seem fine, but it’s very distracting. Where it’s safe and with signal, pullover. Take a few minutes to reorient yourself and calm down enough to continue drive.
Give yourself compassion. It’s ok to need a breather. The best kind mindful driver is one who knows when they need a break!
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