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Rushing to get somewhere can make you nervous and anxious. Instead, you can relax when driving if you make sure that you leave in enough time to arrive at your destination without rushing.  Allow time for accidents, traffic, detours, and other unexpected events that might make you late. Plan your route in advance so that you don’t lose time trying to figure out which way to go. Preparing your car for your drive before you get behind the wheel can help you relax when driving. Before you get in, make sure that you have adjusted your controls and set the car up for your drive.  Position your seat in a comfortable position. You should be able to sit in the driver’s seat comfortably and still easily reach the pedals and steering wheel. Adjust your rearview and side mirrors so that you can see everything around you and don’t have to worry about adjusting them while you are driving. If you are using GPS, go ahead and set your location and put the device somewhere that you can easily see it while driving. Adjust any other controls or settings, like temperature, beforehand so that you can focus on driving once you get started. Some research suggests that listening to classical, pop, or other downbeat music while you are driving can calm you down. So turn off the rock and rap and put on some pop or R&B to relax when you are driving.  Listening to more fast tempo music like rock can cause you to drive faster and get upset easier. Try to set your radio station or music before you start driving so that you aren’t distracted while you are driving. The distractions of alarms, alerts, and notifications can distract you and cause you to become tense while you are driving. To be safe and to relax when you are driving, put your electronic on silent or at least out of reach.  You can lose focus on driving as you try to see who is contacting you or become anxious as the beeps and tones continue to go off. Some phones and phone services have a ‘driving mode’ that can be used while you are driving to reduce your distractions. If you need to, put your phone somewhere that you can’t reach it so you won’t be tempted to check it. Having a conversation about ways to help you stay calm when you are driving can eliminate some of the stress passengers can add to driving. Let your passengers know that you want to be relaxed while you are driving and tell them what they can do to help.  Ask your passengers to wear their seatbelt, try to be still, and talk calmly to you. For example, you could say, “While I’m driving please don’t yell at me or try to get things out of the backseat. It makes me nervous.” Talk to children about how they should behave when they are passengers in a car. You might say, “Kids, you should sit back, stay in your seatbelt, talk quietly, and no horseplay. This will keep you safe and me relaxed.”
Give yourself plenty of time. Set up your car. Turn on relaxing music. Put your electronic devices away. Talk to your passengers.