When asked what is one of the most common issues that affects the mental health of busy New Yorkers, I can’t avoid mentioning the all too common “commuter rage.” Why is it so common? I’ve found that many employees working on Wall Street and Main Street are experiencing such a lack of control, helplessness, and uncertainty in their work lives due to our struggling economy.
It is human nature to strive for control and predictive accuracy in one’s life in as many areas as possible, i.e., work and home life. When these are not available, like in a commuting situation in which there is a rush to be on time for meetings and at one’s desk, individuals with poor coping skills develop anxiety, frustration, anger, and eventually rage. We are all at the mercy of inclement weather, visits from President Obama, traffic, bus, and train delays. However, these issues can quickly become the straw that breaks the camel’s back and can send some individuals into rage right in the midst of their commute.
I would advise clients who are dealing with commuter rage to try their best to take back some control: we all benefit from modern technology and the use of iPhones, iPads, Blackberrys, GPS, and other devices. These tools allow us to monitor traffic delays, incoming bad weather, and any presidential visits, all of which historically can ruin your day. With this preemptive knowledge, you can take alternative routes, change the time of your commute, or try out a new form of transportation that may save you many moments of frustration, anger, and even rage at your fellow commuters!
Be productive! You may be stuck waiting for a train on a platform and completely at the mercy of when the train will arrive, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t get a start on your day. Organize your schedule for meetings for the day on your phone, text or email colleagues, customers, or contacts that you have been too busy to contact, create drafts of messages to be sent even if you are underground or have no service on the train, or create a commuting iPod mix to relax you.
Both of these strategies (plus a strong cup of coffee and a great workout) will get you back to feeling in charge of your day and will keep the normal levels of commuting frustration at manageable levels.
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