According to the famous quote by Eldridge Cleaver, “You are either part of the solution, or part of the problem”.
And with traffic in particular it’s easy to feel its the latter. That sinking feeling of being stuck in a long queue that is going nowhere fast is something we can all relate to; easily making us feel frustrated and irritable. And yet, as Eldridge points out us, perhaps this is actually an opportunity - a time to look at the world a little differently – and try something new.
With a clever mix of the practical and creative, you could find your own solution to this very 21st century perennial problem – and in the process also find your stress levels are lowered too.
Read our top tips and feel free to let us know of your own.
1. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Another quote that tells it like it is. This time we can thank Benjamin Franklin for his words of wisdom. Before setting off – particularly during busy periods – take a minute to look out for traffic warnings. Apps developed by such as those by the AA or INRIX XD or even dedicated websites can offer invaluable road intelligence. Motorists in Scotland can check out Traffic Scotland while those driving in England can monitor Highways England. Road travellers in Wales should visit Traffic Wales and in Northern Ireland Traffic Watch NI keep a close eye on activity.
2. Dip your toes in the pool (the carpool that is). If a colleague lives nearby you might want to start carpooling. It’s a hat-trick of a win too. You lessen the number of cars on the roads, you get a break from driving when it’s your partners turn and as a bonus you have a companion you can chat with during really bad traffic jams.
3. Play catch up. Podcasts are a great way to catch up on those shows that you manage to miss at busy times of the week. Regardless of your musical taste or even your preference in radio stations, there can be some incredible shows waiting for you to tap into. If you have a favourite presenter, just search for their name online followed by ‘podcast’ and see what happens!
4. Lose yourself in a good (audio) book. Pop in a CD of your favourite book and allow yourself to be transported to another time, another country or possibly if you are a sci-fi fan, another dimension. You may enjoy it so much you look forward to your next traffic jam!
5. Get to grips with linguistics. Ever wanted to learn a new language? Whether you want to polish up your French, get to grips with Spanish or start a love affair with Italian now is the perfect time. Simply pop in your disc and it could be as easy as un, deux, trois, or uno, dos, tres….you get the idea.
