International Yoga Day: Tips For Stress-Free Driving

Here are some small yoga tips and tricks that will help you to avoid stress while you are out on the road.

By Carandbike Team

1 mins read

Published on June 21, 2017

Highlights

Here are some yoga tips and tricks to do destress yourself while driving
Some basic stretching and yoga exercises can be very effective
These can keep you calm and relaxed, a key aspect while driving

Automobiles were invented to ease transportation and reduce the stress of traveling. But, somehow we've managed to convert something that was supposed to be relaxing and convenient into a war zone everyday. Well, that's how driving a car feels like as you tackle the traffic jams, pot holes, jaywalkers and much more. At the end of it all, you are left with raised blood pressure, irritable mood and body pain due to long hours in the seat. Well, that's really stealing the beauty of driving isn't it? Hence, on International Yoga Day, we took it upon us to help you remember the joys of driving. While we do not expect you to look as carefree while driving as the gent in the image above (till companies perfect autonomous driving technology), we do think yoga will help beat some of that stress to make your commute to office and home a lot more convenient. So, on World Yoga Day, we share some driving tips and tricks for more stress free driving that you can adapt on the road. 1. Breathe Natural Uneven breathing is the most evident indication of stress while driving. So one of our driving tip on this World Yoga Day is to stay focused and try deep breathing technique in order to keep yourself calm and relaxed. 2. Breathing Exercises Sitting in one position for a prolonged period can put a lot of stress on your body, especially when you are frequent to the traffic jams in Bangalore, Mumbai or Delhi. Utilise this time spent in traffic to do small exercises that will aid relaxation of both - mind and body. Take a few breaths while looking over one shoulder and then repeat for the other shoulder and if your vehicle allows, you can even do a bit stretching to free your muscles. 3. Stretch A Little You can even do a bit side stretching when stuck in traffic. Keep both your hands on the steering wheel, inhale a deep breath and extend the spine. Then exhale slowly leaning to one side. 4. Do Not Pressurise Your Hands Under stress you might tend to insert more pressure, which could also impact the way you drive. Be mindful on how much strain you put on your hands while steering. Try to keep your hands relaxed for free wrist and hand movement. Stay relaxed and don't strain yourself | Image Courtesy - Livestrong 5. Correct Your Body Posture Drooping forward while sitting not only leads to strain on your back and shoulders, but also causes your breath to be shallow. Adjust the seat in a position you are most comfortable in and keep you back straight. 6. Ignorance Is Bliss If a situation on the road provokes you, it is best to pull over for a few minutes and relax. Get out of the car do and bit of stretching and do small breathing exercise like exhale for longer than your inhalations, and repeat till you feel relaxed. 7. Opt For Calming Music Most of us tend to listen to high octane adrenaline rushing music that keeps us peppy on the road. However, it also adds to the stress levels, especially when countered with heavy traffic jams. During such instances, it is advised to switch too more calming music that will help you relax and not add to the stress levels. Also, nobody on the road needs to know what your taste in music is like, so turn down the volume. 8. Commentary Driving While it may sound a little odd, but this technique is said to be popular with advanced drivers. Commentary driving is essentially narrating everything that's happening on the road to yourself. Since your brain is occupied in processing what it observes and then translates into words, there is little room left for any kind of stress to be involved. Moreover, you are more likely to assess a danger or mishap before it actually happens, since you've been alert about your surroundings.