Modern Homemakers
Energy Hacks for Parents Driving Through Traffic
When parents are driving through traffic, it’s a must to keep your energy up and stay awake.
Any parent who drives will tell you that two things can make a driver sleepy: a long-distance drive with no traffic or a complete gridlock of traffic. While the former is so relaxing that there’s no need to worry, the latter is so stressful that we’re so high-strung and fed up.
But we have little ones who rely on us and are waiting for us at home! Here are some energy hacks for parents who are driving through traffic.
1. Have a playlist of video games or movie soundtracks on Spotify!
Video game or movie soundtracks are specifically composed to fit a certain situation—whether it’s an epic battle or a romantic moment.
Most of the ones that keep people awake are the soundtracks that play in the background when an epic battle is happening. It motivates us with their orchestral arrangement; we’re at the edge of our seats fighting our way through a sea of traffic to get home to our babies!
Some of the soundtracks proven to work include Pirates of the Caribbean’s “He’s A Pirate“, Gran Turismo’s “Moon Over The Castle“, and Fast and the Furious’ “Tokyo Drift.”
2. Have a banana ready.
Bananas don’t just contain minerals and vitamins—they also contain sugar to keep us awake. It may not be a favorite option for parents who are trying to keep a low sugar level but at least it’s not processed. Other usual snacks like nuts and chips take too long to process and with their high sodium and oil content. Plus, it makes some parents sleepier.
3. If there’s no choice, dive into a gas station.
Traffic is taxing on even a veteran driver’s stamina, so to prevent ourselves from being a hazard to ourselves and others, dive into a gas station and don’t push it.
Most gas stations have a convenience store that sells all sorts of energy-boosting foods and drinks. At the same time, it gives us time to decompress from all the stress of dealing with 150 different personalities on the road.
4. Avoid foods you know make you sleepy.
Not every parent’s reaction to food is the same. Some parents fall asleep after having hot coffee, whereas others deal with the flip side. While caffeine is a stimulant, the speed of how fast we process it is different.
One thing’s for sure, however, “shooting down” a shot of espresso doesn’t always mean we’ll stay energized for long. In fact, the opposite occurs: we run out faster because we shock our systems by exposing them immediately to caffeine.
Instead, take it slow. For on-the-go drinks, one sip at a time. That way, even sudden breaks won’t have the coffee or drink sloshing around and frying any of the electricals if it spills.
5. Sing in the car if you have to!
Cars are sound insulating, so even if we sing in our Karaoke voice, no one will hear us. The goal is to fool our brains into thinking that it’s in a high-energy environment and singing our favorite song will do the trick. You can even vibe to the music from your seats while doing so!
Although there are cameras for the road, the police don’t care about those things. Just make sure to drive safely, obey traffic rules, and keep your eyes on the road.
6. Change your route every so often.
Traffic changes every five minutes, and so our usual roads might even be the bottleneck of all the traffic. Knowing alternative routes helps us dodge the traffic and also keeps our brains active because we’ll recognize how some of the patterns can be applied to other roads. Alternating one-way streets isn’t just applied in Quezon City’s Scout area; Makati’s Salcedo Village applies the same concept!
Besides, we all just want to go home. The faster we do so, the better. We might even find some hidden food gems while trying to get home.
It doesn’t matter how fast or slow we drive. What matters is we get home safe!
Many of us believe that speed is what gets us home. But what’s the use of speed when we can’t control the car or don’t have the awareness to sense what’s happening around us?
Even if we don’t have the skills of a racecar driver, our goal is to drive home safely so that our kids still have mommies and daddies to tuck them in at night. We may not be able to control how other drivers behave on the road but, we can control how we deal with or evade their antics.
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