Dealing with the Daily Commute

The daily commute can lead to stress, which in turn can lead to every one of the following health issues. Stress affects the immune system, which protects us from many serious diseases. It can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other illnesses. In fact, according to the Center of Disease Control, more than half of all deaths between the ages of one and sixty five result from stressful lifestyles.

If our immune system is low, and our daily commute adds stress to our daily lives, there are serious consequences. So 'coping' with the daily commute is a high priority because if you do, it will give you a better chance to lower stress.

Here are 5 valuable tips to cope with the daily commute and reduce your stress:

1. Make your car a place of sanctuary
2. Get an earlier start
3. Take a different Route
4. Check Driving Conditions
5. Get a 2 year college education

Some people may take the train, the bus, a vanpool, or even a bike to work or school. Each can provide levels of stress that can affect your life. The key question is: how do you cope with the daily commute? By utilizing these 5 tips, dealing with your commute will be stress free and easy.

1. Make your car (or way of travel) a place of sanctuary

If you are spending 30 minutes or more on your daily commute, it is a great idea to make your car a place of comfort, peace, and enjoyment. Clean it out, make sure the radio works, find it a place you can't wait to spend time in and make it 'your area' of solitude.

2. Get an earlier start

We seem to always have to be somewhere an hour ago. Well, leave earlier and take away the stress of being late. The commute is a tough one anyway, why burden yourself with fighting traffic to get to your destination on time. If you know an accident can cause an extra half hour to the drive, leave an extra half hour earlier every day. If there are no accidents, you gave yourself a half an hour cushion and just busted the stress right out of your system!

3. Take a different Route

Have you ever driven to your destination and realized that you can't even remember the drive there? The same old routine makes the commute boring, and uninteresting. So once or twice a week, take a different route. Explore. Map it out before you leave. Try new streets, highways, or a different mode of transportation! Taking away the normalcy and redundancy of your commute can lead to a fun, stress free day.

4. Check Driving Conditions

Check your local television's website for traffic conditions in your area. Some GPS systems already have a traffic monitor built in. Take advantage of the information available and if driving conditions are 'in the red' you better leave earlier or take a different route. If you are prepared, your 'sanctuary' will make the trip more tolerable and possibly, more enjoyable.

5. Get a 2 year college education.

A USC study suggests that if you average 12,000 miles a year on your daily commute and you listen to educational, self improvement and motivational CDs for 3 years during that commute, it is equivalent to a 2 year college education. This, out of all five tips could be the most satisfying and gratifying tip on coping with a daily commute. Each day you will pick up or learn something new and carry it with you throughout the day whether you choose to or not. In three years, you will have educated yourself for, basically 'free' - compared to a college tuition. Try it.

Five incredible ways to cope with your daily commute. Try them all at once or pick one and move to the other. Make sure that CD player is working because despite the drive, the train, the bus or the bike ride in, you will be improving yourself while you drive - and that is the best you can ask from a normally redundant, stressful drive to work!