We all know that feeling sitting on I35 or the Mopac moving at a snails pace, the frustration as you sit through 4 light cycles on S. Lamar Blvd. That feeling of tension in the neck as we stop and go or that ache in the lower back from sitting too long in the car eagerly waiting to get home. The amount of stress that builds up while sitting in traffic in unquantifiable for the average Austinite.
The bad news is that the traffic in Austin is only going to get worse. In 2017 the average Austin motorist spent nearly 66 hours stuck in traffic. Austin also climbed the latter to rank #14 of the most congested cities in the United States. The good news is there are ways to relieve the discomfort and stress that comes with traffic.
While Stuck in Traffic Don’t Forget to Breathe
You’d be surprised when paying attention that you’re probably holding your breathe in traffic more than realized. This sort of breathing is not good for our stress levels but is easy to remedy. Make sure to be taking deep intentional belly breathes with controlled exhalations. By focusing on this for even as little as a minute your body should start to feel more relaxed. This is an free remedy that anyone can do.
Post Traffic Stress Relief
Infrared Sauna
We know stress raises our blood pressure and one way to lower our blood pressure is with an Infrared Sauna session. Infrared saunas induce a deep sweat to make the heart pump faster, which in turn increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure and helps circulation. Clinical research shows a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Both are key factors in maintaining a healthy heart.
For more information on the effects of Infrared Sauna Sessions and heart health refer to our other article “What Does Science Say About Infrared Saunas and Heart Disease?”
Relieve that traffic headache, pain and stress with a massage
It’s never a bad idea to do an activity to relieve the stress of traffic right after being stuck in it for an extended period of time. One of the biggest therapeutic benefits of massage therapy is it’s ability to provide significant stress relief. We recommend a Swedish Massage for general relaxation but if your experiencing some chronic pain from your daily commute try a Deep Tissue Massage. Schedule a massage for after one of your weekday commutes so you have something to look forward to and relieve yourself from all of the negative health effects from traffic.
Now we've got you thinking about your daily traffic stress and you may be wondering - I wish there was a massage near me somewhere along my commute. Conveniently located at the Westgate Shopping Center on the corner of South Lamar and Ben White Blvd, commuter accessibility is some of the best in South Austin. You may also find it very convenient location to run any weekday errands with places like Central Market in the same shopping center.