What is the problem with rush hour traffic? Is it the hours spent in a chaotic environment? Is it the hostile noises from all the other people participating in this event? I’ve recently moved to a city where ‘rush hour traffic’ is a reality for most people. I do my best to avoid it, and sometimes I find myself smack dab in the middle of it. So there I am, cars to the left of me, cars to the right. Cars for miles behind me, and for miles ahead. I look at my cell phone, deciding weather or not to call my next destination to tell them that I may be a while. How to resolve this crisis? What can I do?
I do not posses the telekinetic power to move all these cars or the power to heliport myself somewhere else, physically. So really what are my options? What can you do when you’re in this situation?
The reality is, most people drive themselves crazy in these situations. They get angry, frustrated, impatient, and really, there is nothing they can do. Most of the time, people getting frustrated or impatient results in rush hour lasting twice as long. This isn’t the answer.
I had a client recently who told me about his last experience in rush hour traffic. He told me that it was very peaceful, he turned his radio on, drank his coffee, and decided to look at that moment in time as an opportunity to be at peace. He took a deep breath and simply shifted his perspective in the moment. He focused in on a car ahead and noticed two small children playing in the back seat. They had the right idea. They didn’t care, even though their parents seemed to. They were busy doing something else. This individual is a law enforcement officer so he knows the law, he wasn’t about to pull out his laptop and watch a movie. What he did, was simply shift his perspective and decided to look for something pleasant and calming in all of that chaos. It seems that when we look for these things, we always find them.
So the next time you are in rush hour traffic:
- Take a deep breath and remember this article. Remember that the calmer you are, the calmer you will be when you arrive at whatever destination you are going to. So take another deep breath, take a few. This is a way for you to reset your emotional system and gain balance. What a great opportunity to practice deep breathing, rush hour traffic is perfect.
- Focus in on something pleasant. This could be the song on the radio or a cool looking building. Remember to also keep your thoughts on safety and the road. Most of that is an unconscious process, this is why people are able to have conversations and drive at the same time. Most of the driving we do is done unconsciously. So here, we are learning to shift the conscious mind to do more productive things than stress or get angry. Rush hour traffic is like raining, getting mad at it will not make it go away. Focus on something pleasant and the ‘bad voices’ inside the head will start to go away. This is a very useful technique in reducing harmful mind chatter.
- This is an opportunity, not a penance. Always look for the opportunity. This could be the opportunity to practice reducing head chatter. This could be the opportunity to see something cool. It could be the opportunity to win something on the radio. The opportunities are everywhere and you will only be able to see them when you are looking for them. Always look for an opportunity, anytime and everywhere.
These are simple techniques that carry a lot of value. This is the difference between being upset for 2-4 hours a day or being calm and balanced for that time. The choice is yours. The benefits of doing this exercise are countless. Go ask your doctors what would happen if you were able to reduce ‘Rush Hour Stress’ or ‘Lineup Stress’ or any other annoyance in life. They may want you to explain to them how, so they can do it. This is a very valuable skill that few possess. Have you ever been with someone that stresses continuously while driving and is very vocal about it? Are you that person? And the real kicker question, do you want to be that person? You don’t have to be. You can live a lot longer and with a far better quality of life by simply exercising and retraining your mind in these situations. To learn more about this go to www.alexanderserra.com.
Alexander Serra
NLP Trainer, Personal Development Consultant
Alexander Serra is a licensed trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and is listed with The International Society of NLP and The First Institute. Alexander has had the privilige of studying with Dr. Richard Bandler, founder of NLP and the world’s foremost expert on hypnosis.
For more information go to:[http://www.alexanderserra.com
Article Source: Stress Management and Rush Hour Traffic
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