September 14, 2021
8 Best Ways to Cope with Stress„Stress“ became the common term and more often than not we describe it in different ways. What we know from everyday experience is that „stress“ is a terrible busyness where life duties are mixed with emotions accompanying them and on top of that one gets expectations, too, whether personal or made by others.
All people experience stress, but we know how to reduce its negative impact.
Long story short, here are 8 good suggestions to help you feel better or more willing to deal with any professional or private challenge:
1. Important thing is not to get angry with things you have no control of (traffic jam, waiting for cargo loading or unloading…). However, you obviously cannot change those things you cannot have control of. Instead of using your precious time for whining and lamentation, you can always do something that is useful and productive.
2. Every time you feel stressed out while driving, you coan turn on your phone’s voice recorder application and start recording whatever goes though your mind in that very moment. It can be a bit challenging at first, but as time goes by you will be so familiar with the situaton that can help you heal the stress you feel. If you are alone in a truck cabin, you have total freedom to express whatever you feel and dream about and expect. Verbalization reduces the level of anxiety. Talk as much as you can!
3. Try to eat quality food and have balanced meals, but do not overeat. Please, try to gain control of emotional eating and choose the ingredients that help you stay vigorous and operative. Listen to your body and find no excuses!
4. Learn how to breath properly. For example: Take a deep breath in through your nose, and let your belly push your hand out. Your chest should not move. Breathe out through pursed lips as if you were whistling. Feel the hand on your belly go in, and use it to push all the air out. This calming breathing technique for stress, anxiety and panic takes just a few minutes.
5. At least several inspirational quotes and positive affirmation should be included in your everyday life. You can put stickers with the inspirational quotes all over your truck cabin. Read them and read them again. Please, do that no matter how trivial it might be from your point of view.
6. Do physical exercise for at least 15 minutes per day. Namely, exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. Regular exercise and physical activity is necessary to maintain good health, whether you are at home or driving.
7. Try to sleep at least 8 hours continuously.
8. While driving, you should only make contact with those people who can make you feel safe and desirable, as well.
Please, do share whatever you find it helpful in reducing the level of stress and making other truck drivers feel better and happier.
Thank you!