When you are stressed most of the time you won’t be able to work so efficiently.
Driving is stressful. If you have to drive to hospital or clinic each day you may be more stressed than someone who doesn’t drive at all. Sitting in traffic jams, keeping alert even if you’ve had a late night on call and then having to deal with other driver’s aggression, visiting patients and finding you way when in a unfamiliar place all add up to being more stressed.
It doesn’t have to be like that. There are things you can do to reduce the amount of stress you’ve been experiencing.
Allow yourself plenty of time for your journey, don’t arrange appointments too close to your predicted journey time and schedule meetings at work appropriate to your journey time plus extra for unexpected hold-ups or heavy traffic.
Listen to soothing music or an interesting radio programme such as a discussion or play while driving because this will help the time pass more quickly and take your mind off any traffic congestion so long as you keep part of your brain alert to the changing conditions on the road!
Plan your journey if at all possible to be out of the rush hour and so avoid rush-hour traffic. Regular journeys become automatic but you might occasionally find it interesting to explore a different way of reaching your destination by driving another route.
Try going by public transport form time to time. Find out what alternatives there are instead of driving every journey. It’s often more relaxing going by train or bus, especially if you can do so out of the rush hour. If you drive because of visiting patients or to attend meetings take a look into alternatives such as making contact with people by telephone, Skype or webinar instead of driving to meet them.
