How do you deal with stress...

Just think about nice Sandy beaches with light blue Sky's on a nice cool summer day under a palm tree drinking Pina colada.

 

BTW, GREAT thread topic!

 

And your hands constricting their neck as they take their last gasp...

 

Maybe think about just Shapely Sandy sitting next to me under the moonlight on the beach...Already feel less stressed out

 

Of course, there's schedules and deliveries and traffic to deal with. Some of you, however, are your own worst enemies.

Sleep is a wonderful thing. When you are off duty, you should catch up on your sleep. Not watching TV. Not playing video games. Not doing dial-a-porn.

Start your day E-A-R-L-Y. Dont wait until 15 minutes before you roll out to get out of bed. Get up, scratch your arse, take a dump. Eat a light snack. Pre trip the truck at your leisure. Call your shipper/receiver and get directions from the shipping and receiving clerk and do the GOOGLE maps thing while you are still on the phone. Cuts down the stress level when you know your route. Getting up early also gives you the time you may need to formulate a PlanB much earlier.

Heavy traffic? Relax. Increase your following distance. Trying to prevent cars from getting in front of you will just cause you to become frustrated and pop a fuse.

At the end of your day, if you met the goal you set for yourself at the beginning of that day, REWARD YOURSELF. Get out of the truck. Go get a shower. Go eat in a restaurant and eat with a fork. Have an adult beverage. Go to bed and get a good sleep.

 

If it is daylight, it's over for me. Ive put in night work and delivered the load. I will be in the bunk usually somewhere 2 hours from a city as it fights rush where possible. Nothing but wind in the trees and pine to clear your nose. As happened in flagstaff once.

Beach? Been there done that. Literally with container work delivery furniture (Asian imported stuff... sheesh... that took 3 months to come over on the ship and another month to cross the USA) to the eastern shore hotel being built. They told me take off and come back later in afternoon. They will be unloaded by then. All of that had to go up on many floors into rooms.)

Plan B is nice. as is c, d, e, f and wth is going on G followed by a wtf I?

One of the reasons I loved the west is Im already 2 hours ahead of dispatcher who aint got out of his house yet. Come on let's go &^%$ it. Night dispatchers hardly never have authority to move dots... er trucks around on the fleet computer...

 

When I'm stressed I think about being in the mountains with Shania Twain

 

The only two things that remotely stress me out, is when truckstops can't take the time to make coffee in the mornings and I have to stand around waiting, wasting time. The other is when 4 wheelers want to come down a long ramp at 30 or 40 mph and then expect you to stop a 70', 80,000 lb truck for them, then they get on the freeway and start flying.
On another note, it doesn't stress me out it flat f#%×&#g gets my goat, and that's 1. When people are to lazy to walk their garbage to a trash can. Most times they go right by several of them on their way to the building. 2. People who throw their cigarettes on the grown when there usually standing right next to a butt container. I smoke, but I always field strip the cigarette and put the butt in my pocket until I can properly dispose of it. 3. Grown men who can't use the urinal and would rather wait in line to use the toilet. That's fine but raise the dang lid and flush when you're done. Otherwise take your backside to the women's restroom where you belong.
And finally, when younger drivers take on that I don't give a #### attitude, especially when an older driver is trying very politely to explain something to them.

 

I no longer drive. I have epilepsy and some sounds will trigger seizures. I keep about 30 Gigs of my music collection on a SD card in my smart phone. Much of this is classical music. When I get stressed or need to escape "triggers" I put in my ear buds and listen to music like this.

 

Beautiful music.