Three stress-busting tips for your next drive

Three stress-busting tips for your next drive

With the world in such flux over Covid-19 and families cooped up at home together, the stress you’re under personally might feel a bit unbearable. Chevrolet and General Motors have tried to take some of the strain off of Chevy owners, introducing innovative programs to help our customers weather this confusing time, but beating stress — which can lead to everything from a diminished immune system all the way up to serious conditions like high blood pressure and strokes — should be top-of-mind right now.

Here at McLarty Daniel Chevrolet of Springdale, we love to drive, and we learned a long time ago that nothing works out the stress better than a nice, long jaunt through the country or a maybe-a-few-mph-over blast down the interstate in your new Chevrolet. These are extra stressful times, however, so check out our tips for making your next drive a supercharged stress buster. Another thing that should give you peace of mind: that McLarty Daniel Chevrolet is here for you during the epidemic and beyond, and we’ve instituted special procedures to make shopping, buying and servicing your next vehicle easy and safe during this time. Give us a call, or check out our big selection of beautiful new and used vehicles at our website today.

RED MEANS STRETCH OUT THE STRESS

One of the worst aspects of stress is just the tension it puts on every muscle in your body, which can lead to headaches, backaches, neck and joint pain and worse. Without the ability to visit your favorite masseuse, you can still get out some of the tension by doing The Stoplight Stretch. Every time you come to a stoplight, grip the wheel tightly, take in a big breath of air, and hold it while trying to tense every muscle in your body simultaneously. Hold that for a count of five. Then, with a whooshing breath, let the air out while relaxing every muscle. You’ll physically feel the tension pour out of your body. Do this as many times as you can until the light turns green.

LISTEN TO SOME BEETHOVEN

While the intricate arrangements and complicated movements of classical music are not to everyone’s taste, master composers like Bach and Beethoven were really onto something. Recent studies have shown that listening to classical music while you drive as opposed to talk radio or other genres can do all kinds of beneficial things to your body, including relieving stress, lowering blood pressure, and even reducing the frequency of tension headaches. Cars have great sound systems, allowing you to feel completely inside the music, and that makes a long drive a great place to listen to some classical music. The next time you’re feeling stressed, take a drive and cue up some classical. If you’re like a lot of people, you’ll come home feeling less stressed.

YELL IT OUT

Taking a long drive in the countryside by yourself is a great, safe way to get away from the demands of family and the worry a lot of us are experiencing right now, and the good thing about the country is that there’s not many people there to hear you, see you or think you’re odd if you’re talking to yourself. Given that, one great way to beat stress during a drive in the countryside is just to let it all come out. Yell. Scream. Have a good cry. Sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs. Unleash a string of words that aren’t fit to print here, or have a long conversation with someone who has passed or The One who is always there to listen to your problems. You’re by yourself, and there’s nobody around, so why not? You’ve got plenty of time to be calm and composed when it counts, but during a drive, you can just let your emotions run free. Better out than having them all bottled up inside, and who is gonna know?

By using these three simple, stress-busting tips during your next drive, you can help yourself stay healthy and prepared for whatever comes next during this interesting time in our nation’s history. From everyone at McLarty Daniel Chevrolet of Springdale, stay safe. We’ll be here when you need us for all your automotive needs.