Keep Calm and Drive: 8 Ways to Survive Heavy Traffic

Before, we only worry about life, death, and taxes. Now, we even worry about the traffic. As technology advances, the number of cars plying our roads  increase within our limited road network . And perhaps in just a matter of years, short trips can turn out to a long and agonizing journey.

In 2015, motorists spend more time in congested traffic roads than their actual appointments. So now for 2016, let's make 'staying calm' as one of our solutions. Here, we list down 8 ways to keep cool and motor on in the midst of heavy traffics.

1. Prepare a music playlist before you go on your way. Since you are probably going to be travelling for a while considering the traffic, your favorite playlist should be on hand to keep you calm and boost your mood. But what if you forgot your portable music player? Or your bluetooth device suddenly stopped working? You can listen to your favorite radio station instead.

2. Bring someone with you. Having someone while driving makes everything less boring except if they're a 'backseat driver' kind of passenger.  With a companion, you can chat in the midst of traffic effectively keeping you sane and also prevents reckless driving. Because who would drive recklessly knowing the fact that you're not only endangering yourself but also your friend, and other motorists?

3. Remember your detours and alternate routes. This will prevent you from wasting your time trying to locate where you are going. By having a backup route, you can save time and prevent frustration while on the road. There are also mapping services you could use that not only include real time traffic monitoring but also provide you alternate routes to cut the travel time. Mapping services are as follows: Maze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps.

4. Make a schedule of your trips. Do you have multiple stops or errands along the way? In relation to the previous number, you need to have a strategy by knowing the exact locations. It will help not only save your time but also your gas. It is also advisable that you know the best times to hit the road too.

5. Learn to let go of other people's mistakes. Don't let other motorist's mistakes get to you because as the saying goes, nobody is perfect. Even if we're experienced in driving, we can't deny that there are many reasons as why we suffer from a chaotic traffic. We should just accept that not all drivers are the same. Some are not great in maneuvering their vehicles or even know the proper road courtesy.

6. Bring your stress reliever. Perhaps it could be a ubiquitous stress ball or maybe even a bubble wrap. These small things could provide a temporary relief especially when you're stuck in the road for 15 minutes already. Instead of venting your anger on your passengers or maybe even other motorists, let these objects take all that beating.

7. Track your speed. Don't be hasty and limit that speed, you're not on a race track. This is a friendly reminder for every motorists. You are travelling on public roads wherein not only vehicles cross but also people. Stop hammering your gas pedal because it won't help you. If you like inching forward aggressively, you're probably just going to end up angry, which brings us to our next tip.

8. Never drive angry. Driving can always be a form of stress relief. However it is a different case if you're already feeling angry beforehand. Being emotional while travelling may cloud your judgment and make your bad mood even worse especially when you're stuck in the road.