When you’re feeling emotional, stressed or angry, you look for a way to diffuse those feelings. You want something to take your mind off of it and help you calm down.
Some people will recommend going for a drive. Don’t pick a destination. Just get in the car and drive until you feel better. They see it as a relaxing pastime and a way to address these mental issues that you’re facing.
Here’s why that’s not a good idea.
Increasing stress
First of all, while driving can reduce stress for some people, it can also increase it. If you’re already feeling angry and then someone cuts you off, how are you going to react? If you’re feeling stressed and then you get stuck in traffic, is that really going to lower your stress levels? The car is the last place you should be.
Driving while emotional
It’s also easier to get distracted, and you can even view your emotions as a distraction in their own right. Your mind wanders back to the event that caused your initial stress. Now you’re driving at 60 miles per hour and you’re thinking about that event, rather than the road. You may be doing it to feel better, but you’re increasing the odds of an accident for everyone else on the road.
Have you been injured?
You can choose not to drive when you’re stressed, but everyone else may not do the same. If someone else hits your car and injures you, be sure you know how to seek compensation.
