Mindfulness & Road Rage

Photo by Meme Binge

Ok so we've all been a little aggressive at the wheel. Sometimes the nicest, sweetest people become their alter ego in the drivers seat. Road rage, our attention and noticing of it, and our transformation away from it is low hanging fruit when it comes to applied mindfulness. It's as though we take all that has us worked up at home or work and channel it to every other driver who does even the smallest thing to annoy us. Heck, sometimes they even drive the speed limit and we're furious, "it's called a pedal, use it!". Usually on our daily commute we are alone in the car and transitioning from one element to the other (work to home, vise versa). Sometimes we are rushed, in traffic, still tired, cranky, or maybe we're really happy and excited (it's possible). No matter the situation, if you find that you are a road rager, practicing mindfulness WILL reduce the rage triggered by traffic and they way others drive. If you set the tone for the day in the car by practicing mindfulness, it will probably make your day go a little smoother in terms of your re-activity to things that may go wrong.

So there are two opportunities for mindfulness practice here. Both are challenging if the concept of mindfulness is totally new to you, but if you make a commitment to try this for one week I think you'll see enough reward that you might keep doing it (not all the time, but a decent amount). Mindful driving takes your experience and turns it into a meditation, while metta driving offers an opportunity to "say" something nice back to the person you just gave the finger to. Metta driving is a real game changer and has an incredible amount of potential to ease reactive responses.

Mindful Driving

1) Make a commitment to not listen to music, audiotape, etc or to be on your phone (that's right, no!)

2) As you drive, keep your attention on all aspects of the driving experience. For example,

• Feel your hands on the wheel. Are you holding tightly? If so, lessen the grip.
• Notice your posture. 
• Watch your speed and how close you are to the car behind you. 
• Notice how often you're putting your foot on the brakes and consider having more space between cars. Allow yourself more space and slow down the rush. 
• The temperature in the car

3) As thoughts distract you from your driving, note the distraction and come back to just driving and the environment around you.

Metta Driving

The key with metta driving is noticing when you're getting annoyed with other drivers and offering them a gentle wish for a good day. Even if they legitimately do something that is worthy of a negative remark, the point is that it doesn't do you any good to drive up your heart rate and blood pressure over it. This isn't about liking them or feeling like what they did was ok, it's about calming down, letting go, moving on, and practicing compassion. It's about tempering YOUR reaction to the situation. So, the next time someone's driving skills (or lack thereof) trigger the finger, note the frustration and take one second to (in your mind, of course) send them a well wish. I know it sounds a little nuts if you're new to this. But, it works. You just have to be open!