Whether your commute is a short 20 minute jaunt or a grueling 1 hour slog, you probably have to deal with a fair amount of commute-related stress. One day, a fellow commuter will have decided that road signs don’t apply to them. On a different day, unexpected freeway gridlock will make you late to work and late for a family dinner. And on top of those irritating occurrences, you also have to deal with noise, jaywalkers and seemingly endless red lights that can have you feeling stressed out before you even clock in. Thankfully, a Desert Sun article suggests a few techniques that can use to help win the war against road rage.

As managing stress is really the practice of managing your reactions to stressful stimuli, the article recommends dealing with commute-related stress with breathing exercises, posture shifting and self-massage. Making the active choice to control your breathing will help you become emotionally centered. Shifting your posture will relieve the discomfort of sitting in the same position for extended periods of time. And by gently massaging your temples, neck and upper back during a red light or in the middle of a traffic jam, you can relax your muscles, relieve your mental tension and generally put yourself in a better mood. Commuting to and from work is part of life, but by employing the techniques outlined in this article, it doesn’t have to be a wholly unpleasant experience.

Read the full article here: Braking stress: Zen commute can take you to a better place