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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

HEALTH: De-stress during stand-still traffic

Traffic congestion is a daily reality for urbanites. Aznim Ruhana Md Yusup has suggestions on how to turn this into something positive

MOST of us living in urban areas have come to (grudgingly) accept traffic jams. We even factor in the probable time we spend caught in a jam when we plan our daily commute.

But then, there are days when a 40-minute crawl becomes a three-hour stress test. This can happen for a number of reasons — an accident, flash flood, faulty traffic light etc. And there is no getting away from it.
Instead of fretting, just consider traffic jams as enforced timeout from your schedule. Here are 10 suggestions on what you can do in such a situation but be careful not to lose your concentration, or you may end up causing an accident.

1 - CALL FRIENDS

People often find that they don’t get as stressed out in a congestion if there is someone else keeping them company. So use a hands-free set or switch on the speaker and call up a friend for a chat.
Friends are not the only people you can ring. Priscilla Patrick, a radio traffic news veteran and Red FM presenter, gets calls from motorists whotell her about the traffic situation.
“But I also get people calling in just to say hello! I don’t mind it, because I can multi-task,” she says.

2 - LISTEN TO MUSIC

Sing along to your favourite tunes. You can even bring out your inner rockstar.
In a traffic jam, Faizal Tarihhuddin says he “headbangs while playing air guitar, air bass and air drums at the same time. But don’t overdo it, or a policeman will wave you down because he may think you are having a seizure.”
However, if the combination of loud music and non-moving traffic adds to your stress, try listening to classical tunes.

3 - DON’T LISTEN TO MUSIC

While some drivers find comfort in music, others prefer the spoken word. Listening to podcasts or audiobooks keeps our minds occupied.
I am huge fan of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series, and the audiobooks are just so alive with his jokes that I can’t help laughing out loud.

4 - READ

Oman-based dive instructor Mufizah Moslim doesn’t get stuck in traffic much these days, but she still comes prepared. “I keep a handful of magazines like Time, Discover and ScubaDiver in the car,” she says.

“When I am stuck in standstill traffic, I whip one out according to my mood and read the articles — short enough that I don’t get too engrossed but interesting enough to take my mind off the traffic. Some days I even hope for a traffic jam, so that I can get some reading done. Too busy otherwise!”

5 - MENTAL EXERCISE

You can try passing time by playing puzzles like sudoku or crossword. Or you can look around for inspiration.

When I was a child, my mum used to make us add the numbers of the vehicle registration plates to pass the time. For example, 2+5+6+9=22, 3+7+8=18, you get idea.

It is a good way to improve your mental calculation, and for variation try other arithmetic operations. You can even make up phrases or tag lines using the letters.

If you run out of plate numbers, try the drivers. Mufizah explains: “I pick a random stranger, say someone sitting two cars away from me, and try to come up with a story for the person.

“Where’d she come from? Where is she headed? What is he rushing for? Why is he happy? Then I create a 10-15 minute sitcom of the person’s life in my head.”

But she says it is more than just making up a story. “I will reflect on and re-analyse the assumptions and preconceived notions of the person based on just one long look, and tell myself off if I feel I am being too judgemental.”

6 - EXERCISE

There are some moves that you can do in the confines of your car to rid yourself of the monotony — try lifting your hand to reach the roof of your car, or performing push-ups by grabbing the steering wheel, and squeezing your shoulder blades as you reach the wheel.

Isometric exercises are particularly good as these require you to tense your muscles without moving.

Squeezing a stress ball or a hand grip can help relieve some of your frustration as well.

7 - GET A MASSAGE

Some high-end cars such as Mercedes-Benz’s current S-Class offer seats with built-in massage function. But you can also get powered massage cushions that go on top of the seat, or smaller devices like a neck or shoulder massager.

These devices are meant to make your drive more comfortable, although it is really up to the individual whether they are effective.

That said, if you have someone else in the car with you, you can always ask them to massage your shoulders for a bit.

8 - CATCH UP ON CHORES

Make a to-do list, a grocery list, or perhaps brainstorm an idea for work. Plan birthday parties or holidays.

Use all the technology that you have at hand like dictation apps or use Siri on the iPhone.

9 - TIDY UP YOUR CAR

Gather all the rubbish and put in a bag so you can throw it into the trash can when you get home, NOT outside your car window.

10 - FIND INNER PEACE

All the above suggestions focus on an activity but you can try going the other direction and indulge in a complete shutdown. Switch off the radio and your phone, take a deep breath and listen to the relative silence.

Try to get into a relaxed frame of mind and turn a stressful moment into an opportunity to de-stress. Use aromatherapy. Spa consultants Hana Halim and Kamaliah Fuad-Biemans suggest lavender for a relaxing drive. Or peppermint or lemon if you are in need of a pick-me-up.

Buy essential oil diffusers or place a few drops of the oil on cotton balls as these work quite well too.

Place them on the dashboard and heat from the sun will disperse the scent. Don’t soak the cotton balls with oil because the oils can stain your dashboard.