A car ride just for the sake of getting away with one's own mind, will, and emotions is for some people a foreign concept. Those individuals see the car ride solely as a means to get from point A to point B. I submit to you, however, that the car ride can be a lot more than that. In fact, the ride can contribute to a person's ability to lower stress and to work through emotional issues.
Frustration levels are a part of everybody's composure, or lack thereof. Sometimes, though, there are times that the level of frustration in a day becomes amplified to nearly intolerable. One with whom adult levels of patience or tolerance are lacking will often just blow up all over the rest of the individuals in the room at the time, and sometimes even continue to do so for the rest of the day. One whose patience and tolerance is on an adult level, however, has learned to hold their tongue, step away, and come back later with fresh eyes to whatever situation they had to temporarily step away from. Either way, frustration is a reality.
I like to think of myself as a patient person. But, when I've reached that point where my patience has ended I try to, not always succeeding, find a way to step away and refocus. My favorite choice to refocus in those circumstances is what I refer to as Open Road Therapy. This is the act of walking to the car and going for a ride alone with my thoughts, prayer, and always with good music. The rides can be as short as twenty minutes, or as long as an hour or two if necessary – whatever I find restorative for me.
I once saw a meme on social media that said something to the effect of not underestimating the effect of driving with loud music on. I saw that and thought, that person gets it! That's exactly it! Get away, enjoy the ride, and come back feeling fresh, or at least fresher. It's therapeutic.
Please be aware. I am not saying to be careless in these situations. Driving while refocusing (or cooling off) and driving like an idiot while angry are two different things. There is no excuse to blow off steam by driving in such a way to break every speed limit, run traffic lights, and endanger the public. Adults behave better than that. Such carelessness is rewarded by authorities that write tickets, cancel licenses, or give trips to the slammer. Rightfully so!
So, be safe! But get out there! Experience what a car ride can do for you. Feel your stress levels drop, your sanity return, and catch a few of the neighborhood sights while you're at it. On that day you'll see what an open road, good music, and time alone can really do for you beyond just point A and point B. That is Open Road Therapy.
Frustration levels are a part of everybody's composure, or lack thereof. Sometimes, though, there are times that the level of frustration in a day becomes amplified to nearly intolerable. One with whom adult levels of patience or tolerance are lacking will often just blow up all over the rest of the individuals in the room at the time, and sometimes even continue to do so for the rest of the day. One whose patience and tolerance is on an adult level, however, has learned to hold their tongue, step away, and come back later with fresh eyes to whatever situation they had to temporarily step away from. Either way, frustration is a reality.
I like to think of myself as a patient person. But, when I've reached that point where my patience has ended I try to, not always succeeding, find a way to step away and refocus. My favorite choice to refocus in those circumstances is what I refer to as Open Road Therapy. This is the act of walking to the car and going for a ride alone with my thoughts, prayer, and always with good music. The rides can be as short as twenty minutes, or as long as an hour or two if necessary – whatever I find restorative for me.
I once saw a meme on social media that said something to the effect of not underestimating the effect of driving with loud music on. I saw that and thought, that person gets it! That's exactly it! Get away, enjoy the ride, and come back feeling fresh, or at least fresher. It's therapeutic.
Please be aware. I am not saying to be careless in these situations. Driving while refocusing (or cooling off) and driving like an idiot while angry are two different things. There is no excuse to blow off steam by driving in such a way to break every speed limit, run traffic lights, and endanger the public. Adults behave better than that. Such carelessness is rewarded by authorities that write tickets, cancel licenses, or give trips to the slammer. Rightfully so!
So, be safe! But get out there! Experience what a car ride can do for you. Feel your stress levels drop, your sanity return, and catch a few of the neighborhood sights while you're at it. On that day you'll see what an open road, good music, and time alone can really do for you beyond just point A and point B. That is Open Road Therapy.
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