Make Over My Commute!

October 27, 2009
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Tips and products to make the morning commute less stressful and more healthy.
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A five-second trick to ease road rage

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While you’re waiting at a red light, try this stress-relieving trick from Maureen Hagan, a licensed physiotherapist and fitness instructor for the IDEA Health and Fitness Association: Sit up straight, hold the steering wheel, bend elbows to 45-degree angles, and inhale as you grip the wheel tightly; hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Then exhale, releasing the tension in your hands and arms without letting go of the wheel.

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Street smart

Got an off-site meeting? No worries. The easy-to-use TomTom GO 920 GPS navigator ($450) not only gets you where you need to go but also pinpoints the cheapest gas in a 30-mile radius.

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Talk safely

Avoid getting distracted by using the Motorola Bluetooth In-Car H620 Headset. Voice-dialing and automatic volume control let you truly talk hands-free.

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Zen scent

Traffic jam? Dab Bath and Body Works Instant Aromatherapy Stress Relief ($10) on pulse points; its eucalyptus and spearmint scents ease tension.

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No-drip sips

Finally, a coffee mug that’s made for drivers. The no-spill opening of the Oxo 360° LiquiSeal Travel Mug (available in pink, silver, red, and blue, $13) runs all around the lid, so you won’t have to search for a tiny hole to drink from or accidentally pour hot coffee all over your lap.

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Quick fix

Stash the Safety Girl Roadside Emergency Kit ($45) under your passenger seat, and you’ll be equipped to handle those minor “emergencies”—stains, chipped nails, surprise period—that inevitably come up. It even includes instructions for jump-starting a battery and changing a flat tire. (Of course, you should keep a regular roadside kit in your trunk, too.)

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Wake-up call

Be alert no matter what the hour with Starbucks Milk Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans ($4.99 to $5.49). These yummy treats won’t wreck your diet, either: Twenty pieces have just 95 calories.

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Listen up!

Nothing eases stress like laughing, so pop the audio book of humorist David Sedaris’s latest work, When You Are Engulfed in Flames ($34.95), into your CD player. Don’t let the cover fool you—Sedaris’s pithy essays are hilarious.

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Save gas

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Slash your driving time by finding other commuters in your area at eRideShare.com and starting a carpool. You'll save money (about 54 cents per mile), relieve driving stress, and protect the environment, too!

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