vLane Blog

Nine Ways to Counter the Effects of Road Rage

From georgiana, Featured Contributor
Posted on July 24, 2008

Filed under Advice

It might not be your fault, but it's not healthy anyway. Here are some tips for when you find yourself getting agitated on the road.

If we were asked to describe road rage most of us would be qualified to give a pretty good lecture on what it is, why it's bad and maybe even throw in a few tips on how to avoid being its target. But we're not all so well versed on the price we pay when the craziness of other drivers causes us to lose our own tempers. There have been many studies outlining the damage that anger does to the cardiovascular system, including increased blood pressure, turbulence in the blood, and ultimately increased risk of coronary artery disease.

The affects of road rage can linger, often for years. According to a study published in the August 1992 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology, a man who was in an accident when someone backed into his car was still so angry over the accident and the difficult aftermath that his heart began to pump inefficiently as he talked about the incident years later. With that in mind, what can we do when our daily commute is making us see red and driving our blood pressure into the danger zone?

1. 1.Pull over

   If you've had a near miss or you're too angry to drive then don't. Find the closest safe spot and take a break. If you can, get out of the car and walk around a little bit.

2. 2.Release some aggression, but not too much

   Some studies have shown that keeping anger bottled up is more damaging than venting but you have to be careful. The physiological effects of anger tend to escalate, so by venting you can make the situation worse. Try talking about what happened, even if you're the only one in the car. Try to keep it short and sweet so you don't end up angrier than when you began.

3. 3.Breathing Exercises

   Try taking some deep breaths. This can be hard to do when you're upset because your chest tightens up, which is one reason I suggest belly breathing. Instead of concentrating on making your chest rise and fall, try and get your belly to move in and out with each breath. This type of slow, concentrated breathing is also excellent for warding of panic attacks and can burn a little of that adrenaline that was just dumped into your blood stream.

4. 4.Be Aware of Your Body

   Actors can trigger an emotion by mimicking the effects of that emotion on the body. Anger tends to manifest with breathing quickly and tension in the shoulders, chest and stomach. Just as you can bring on the feeling of anger simply by breathing quickly, tensing and trembling, you can get rid of some of that anger by doing the opposite.

5. 5.Talk in a Slow, Calm Voice

   A study that appeared in a 1990 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine showed that talking in a calm, even voice at slow speeds can relieve anger. This is also an excellent tip to keep in mind if you get caught in an argument as the same study showed that raised voices and quick, staccato speech escalated into more anger, which then made the other party even angrier, resulting in a terrible feedback loop.

6. 6.Get Support

   Sometimes just getting validation can make you feel better and keep you from erupting. If someone is in the car with you try saying, in a calm voice, "Did you see that?" When your passenger acknowledges that yes, it's a miracle you weren't both run off the road you should feel better. But don't spend a lot of time complaining and staying upset; you want to let the anger go as soon as you can.

7. 7.Praise the Driver

   That's right, praise the bad driver. If you can turn the whole thing into a joke you'll have a hard time being angry. I started doing this years ago when my children were little and I needed to watch my language. Instead of using the "bad" words I started saying "Nice driving Ace!" Give it a try, you may be surprised.

8. 8.Switch Your Hand Signals

   Fond of giving bad drivers the finger? Give them a thumb instead. Try a nice thumbs up along and you'll find it that much harder to get angry.

9. 9.Ignore

   The advice your mother and your elementary teachers gave you can be very helpful. With time and a little work you might just be able to reach the ultimate goal; paying enough attention to the other drivers to drive carefully but ignoring them enough to let their shenanigans roll off your back.

The important thing is to not let the other driver upset you. Praising them insincerely, waving them on with the thumbs up and letting go are all excellent for you and your poor heart. Have you got any coping mechanisms you'd like to share with us?

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georgiana is a featured contributor for vLane.