5 Visible Signs of Driving Stress That Music Can Heal

by Skylah J. vocalist and pianist

Driving can be hazardous, if stress gets into your head. Visualise you being stuck in the traffic congestion. You seem good for nothing. The stress to reach on time in a business meeting sluggishly creeps into your mind. You often try to overtake the wheels ahead of yours. Moreover, frequent honking of many vehicles standing cheek-by-jowls leaves you fuming.

You can do nothing, but to grudge while being behind the wheel. Restlessness prompts you to take a wrong way or, to jump the red light. In short, the stress is gradually taking a toll on your mind. If your psychology consistently goes through the similar situation almost every next day, it could turn chronic. Even, the inexperienced driver can also face this psychological threat.

But, you yourself can leap across this severe mental condition. The research shows that listening to the right music in that situation can calm down the stress. Moreover, it can help to treat depression also.

Let’s come across what signs of stress apparently disturb when you are behind the wheel.

1. Being hot-headed & irritable:

When a cab or bus overtakes your car, you often feel offended. However, lagging you behind is no crime, if one is driving while obeying the traffic rules. But still, you, being in a hurry, cannot let that happening go easily. Your tolerance level touches the bottom. It seems that everything and even, everyone are getting on your nerves.

2. Dried of energy:

The short-temperedness can make you feel fatigued and physically drained. Your energy level would scroll down and you want to lie like a couch potato due to feeling heavy. Even, a short distance seems an exhaustive task to cover up. You even want to give up driving for a moment.

3. Reckless behavior:

Being engulfed in the stress, you behave in an awkward manner. You spit a series of slangs and abusive terms at the chauffeurs passing by you, as you’re in the grip of adrenaline rush. You begin reckless driving and seem attempting to run in the marathon of automobiles.

4. Lack of focus:

The hurry and grumpiness fade away your cool and calm nature. Being hot-headed, you often fail to concentrate on driving and its guidelines. You often encounter a brush with an accident because you temporarily keep decisions on-hold during driving.

5. Unexpected pain:

A sharp but unexpected ‘U’ turn by a cab driver from the opposite direction may flare up your anger. If you are an introvert, you may gulp the abusive terms inside. Neither could you complain because the culprit has gone. In that situation, your head, back and stomach may feel the ache because your cortisol-the stress hormone will be active. Such circumstances could make your heart throb faster, resulting in cardiovascular disease.

A research published in the journal “Complementary Therapies in Medicine” has proven that listening to music can put the pressure down during driving. Even, Professor Vitor Engracia Valenti has said, "Listening to music could be [...] a preventive measure in favor of cardiovascular health in situations of intense stress, such as driving during rush hour."

Benefits of listening to music while driving:

It’s proven that the right kind of music (which you love to listen to) can bring your mind, body and soul in a complete harmony.

· Its soothing beats can encourage coordination and communication, which are essential to avert the accident when you are handling the wheel.

· Listening to your favourite songs in the headphone can help you to deal with the stress and anxiety.

· Even, you can combat the depression due to an unwanted sensation and distress for whipping the unsaid anger inside if the music is playing around.

· It can make your mood happy even if you have just escaped from being the victim of harsh driving.

· The music is itself a therapy that can reduce emotional distress and improve the quality of life.

A number of experiments and researches suggest that there is no better shelter than that of listening to music if you really want to get rid of the driving blues. It stirs like honey in your heart, escalating and affecting the heart when you are trapped in the jungle of heavy traffic on the road.