6 Ways to Reduce Stress for Truck Drivers While on the Road

If your occupation is a truck driver, then chances are you’re on the road more often than not. While stress is a typical part of everyday life, stress is even more significant for truck drivers. Here are six easy ways to help reduce stress while on the road and avoid having to file a commercial insurance claim due to an accident.

How to Reduce Stress When Driving in Six Easy Steps

Move and Stretch as Often as Possible

While you’re likely to be eager to reach your destination as quickly as possible, it’s critical to take breaks throughout your trip. The human body isn’t intended to remain seated in one position for long periods of time. To help your mind and body relax, be sure to stop for a break every few hours to stretch and grab some fresh air.

Not only is this an excellent opportunity to stretch the muscles in your body, but it’s also a perfect opportunity to take a bathroom break or grab a snack or beverage from a nearby convenience store or gas station. Even if you’re only able to take a quick two-minute break, taking a moment to pause can do wonders for clearing your mind and releasing any pent-up stress in your mind or body.

Listen to Your Favorite Music or Podcast

Driving by yourself can become quite dull after a while, and the feeling of isolation can slowly start to creep into your mind. If this is the case for you, turn on your favorite kind of music or a podcast you like listening to clear your mind. Not only will this provide you with safe entertainment, but it will also engage your senses in something else other than the seemingly endless road in front of you.

Podcasts and music are two fantastic ways to actively engage your brain in another activity safely, while music tends to be another great way to let you remain focused on driving. Not only that but depending on the type of music you prefer to listen to, it can also aid significantly in reducing stress and keeping you calm.

Get Adequate Sleep

Not getting enough sleep is one of the primary causes of excessive amounts of stress. Getting an adequate amount of sleep each night is vital to not only your physical health but also to your mental health and immune system, as well. From helping you prepare for the following day to provide you with enough energy for a long day of driving, getting the proper amount of sleep can do wonders for your brain and body.

Try to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night. If you find yourself becoming drowsy while driving, immediately find somewhere safe to stop and rest.

Plan Your Route Ahead of Time

A lot of stress can arise when you’re in foreign territory and not sure where your destination is. Being lost can not only be a frustrating experience, but it can also be terrifying and stressful. Luckily, it can be relatively simple with today’s technology to get directions and know precisely where you need to go.

Before you head out on your next big drive, prepare your GPS or smartphone device ahead of time. Having a basic understanding of where you will need to go will help not only if you find yourself in a rush the following day but can also keep you prepared in case the technology fails at any point. Additionally, don’t forget to check for potential traffic and road construction beforehand, as either of these can cause unnecessary stress later on.

Practice Breathing Exercises

A simple way to immediately relieve truck driver stress at any given moment is through a simple practice of breathing exercises. Long road trips are the perfect time for these exercises, and they’re relatively easy to learn how to do. What makes these exercises even more effective is that they can be done anytime, anywhere.

First, start by taking deep breaths by inhaling slowly through your nose. Once you reach the top of your breath, hold your breath for a count of five. Then, slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of ten seconds.

By regularly performing these exercises, you’ll feel relaxed and calm in no time.

Eat as Healthy as You Can

Last but certainly not least, one of the most ideal ways to reduce truck driver stress levels is by maintaining a proper diet. We understand that being on the road for extended periods of time can cause you to eat a somewhat irregular diet. However, once you know how critical your diet is in terms of your overall mental and physical health, you’ll be wanting to eat healthy more often than not.

As much as possible, make every effort you can to have balance in your daily diet. Try to eat foods such as salads, lean fruits, and sandwiches while staying away from fast food and greasy food as frequently as possible.

We understand that a truck driver often drives late at night to avoid traffic, which means food options are quite limited, and fast food is often your only option. However, by eating well and demonstrating discipline while on the road will not only reduce your truck driver stress levels and help you feel calmer, but a healthy diet can also help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases.

If you’re able to, consider something called meal prepping before you get ready to start your next long drive. This will prevent you from scrambling for food at the last second while also making sure that you are always consuming proper nutrition levels and giving you all the nutrients you need to help you get to your destination safely.

Contact Strong Tie Insurance for All of Your Insurance Needs

Here at Strong Tie Insurance, we care about the long-term health and safety of your truck drivers and CDL trucking companies, and the trucking industry as a whole. By offering insurance for commercial trucks, we aim to ensure that your truck drivers are protected at all times. For more than 20 years, we’ve strived to protect our customers at all times while they’re on the road and we look forward to being able to help you, as well.

Discover the secret to stress-free eating on the road. Explore our blog post about Bar Chow and learn how to maintain a healthy diet while trucking. Fuel your body and tackle stress head-on with our nutritious tips.

If your business is in need of commercial insurance, or you would like to learn more, contact us at Strong Tie Insurance today to speak with a representative about how we can help.