Stress management can be a considerable challenge for many truck drivers. Many factors contribute to truck driver stress. You have to maintain constant focus on the road while spending significant time away from friends and family.
Combine this with several other demanding merchandise transport responsibilities and your job can easily become overwhelming if you don’t find effective ways to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Here are some beneficial tips for staying stress-free on the road.
1. Eat healthy
A healthy body directly contributes to a healthy mind. Maintaining a healthy diet can help reduce irritability and depression, as well as help you feel more awake when driving and get a better overall sleep.
Many people assume eating healthy food requires sacrificing tastiness and simply munching celery sticks for the foreseeable future (not that there’s anything wrong with celery sticks). This is not the case, however, as there are many healthier choices you can make without resorting to boring, bland snacking.
2. Sleep well to avoid fatigue
Lack of sleep can spell disaster when driving long distances. However, sometimes it’s difficult getting the necessary 6-8 hours our bodies need to stay alert and avoid becoming fatigued.
If you’re having trouble getting the right amount of sleep, here are some helpful suggestions:
- Limit your caffeine intake and avoid it a couple hours before sleeping
- Restrict your exposure to light before bed (phones, tablets, etc.)
- As mentioned above, maintain a healthy diet
- Find a truck stop and take a short nap if you start to feel overly fatigued
3. Be social
One of the main causes of stress on the road is being away from friends and family. This lack of social connection can be a factor in depression.
Be sure to check in with friends and family back home on a regular basis. Also, don’t hesitate to start a chat with fellow truckers at different truck stops.
Another great way to combat loneliness is to bring a pet with you. If your employer allows it, that is.
4. Maintain fitness
Maintaining a daily fitness routine, combined with healthy eating, is a sure-fire way to beat stress on the road. It can, however, be difficult to find the time and resources to exercise when traveling.
Regardless, you should aim to get about 15 to 30 minutes of exercise per day to relieve stress. Start with some easy exercises and modify them as you progress.
Bonus: listen to your favorite podcast or music playlist
Making a playlist full of your favorite tunes can be a great stress reliever when driving long distances. Have a favorite podcast? Listen to a couple episodes per day to keep your mind interested and engaged instead of letting it wander.
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