Are you looking forward to the holidays or dreading another family dinner filled with stress? If it’s the second, you are not alone. Many people dread the holidays due to the stress of interacting with family and all the accompanying drama, hurt feelings, and anger that can result when families get together.
Having people with different personalities and backgrounds in the same room is often frustrating. People tend to hold on to grudges and resentments for years, a situation in which not everyone is going to have a wonderful holiday. However, you don’t have to succumb to the stress and conflicts around you. Here are a few tips to help make this holiday more enjoyable:
• Prior to the event, make a mental list of who is going to be present. Then determine what topics may be off limits or how you will respond to other people. Being prepared helps defuse tense situations. Try to have a sense of humor and remember what you love about each person.
• Remember there will always be leftovers! Don’t treat the meal as an all-you-can-eat buffet that you must consume in one sitting.
• Greet everyone with a hug and a “nice to see you.” Start the day on a good note and keep your comments positive and in the moment.
• Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves, so take time to ask them questions about their favorite subject. Put the focus on the other individual and you will come across as a wonderful person.
• Spend time with the children. Ask about their hobbies and interests and spend some time playing with them.
• Rick Warren said, “You can only win friends to Christ. You can’t reach your enemies.” Make friends with your family; you might just find out that you really like them.
• Focus on the value of the other people around you. You may not approve of their lifestyle and decisions, but you can always value them personally.
• If seeing family causes you too much stress, you can always say no. Spend time with your spouse and kids or with good friends.
And always remember: if the stress of the holidays is too much to bear, log on to www.DriversWellness.com and click on the link to Lighthouse Network. Trained counselors are available to help you manage the stress.
For more help, see your doctor or check out our Resources Partners when you click this link or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care. Further, it is not intended to be a substitute for physician’s advice. Always see the advice of a licensed physician concerning any question you have regarding any content obtained from this blog and any medical condition you believe may be relevant to you or someone else. Always consult with your physician or other qualified health care provider before embarking on a new treatment, diet, or fitness program.
Stress is a normal part of life. Your body is conditioned to produce cortisol, a naturally-occurring hormone, to help you manage stressful situations. The daily stresses that are constantly bombarding people, from dealing with the dangers of traffic to managing money and family relationships, cause your body to overproduce cortisol, and this overproduction can put your health at risk. The effects on your body include:
• Heart Disease
• Sleep problems
• Digestive problems
• Depression
• Obesity
• Memory impairment
• Skin conditions such as eczema
Learning healthy ways to cope with stress can help alleviate stressors. Here are a few things you can do to help:
• Eat a healthy diet; get regular exercise and plenty of sleep.
• Practice relaxation techniques; take deep breaths, release slowly. Stretch your body while breathing in deeply and releasing.
• Focus on a peaceful scene; if you are not around nature, look at pictures.
• Develop healthy friendships; having someone to talk to helps release stress. Visit one of our chapels for a friendly, listening ear.
• Have a sense of humor; most of the time, things really aren’t that bad.
• Remember that laughter really is the best medicine!
Following these tips can improve your overall health and combat the effects of stress. If you still have problems or need help with achieving stress management, visit DriversWellness.com and click on the Lighthouse Network button. Also, take time to visit one of our chapels – our chaplains are always ready to listen. Click here to comment.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
Often the stresses of life feel like our enemies. They face us head on and battle with us for what seems to be an eternity. Stress can drag us down, and in turn drag our loved ones down too. I would love to tell you that there’s a way to get rid of stress forever. That’s not possible. However is it possible to fight and win these battles with stress. In fact, there are ways to fight stress that will allow goodness, kindness and love to follow you wherever you go. Let us show you how today. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
A couple of weeks ago, I was out West and traveled through the Donnor Pass. One minute it was sunny, bright and warm, and the next minute it was snowing, cold and slippery. Have you heard the term “white knuckled”? That’s when you grip the wheel so tight your knuckles turn white. Well for many miles, I white knuckled it! I would go up and down each hill hoping it would end over the next ridge. The stress of life is just like traveling through Donnor Pass. There are ups, downs, dry roads, slippery roads, clear roads and white knuckle moments. It is very easy to have fears and doubts during these times, but there are ways to get through with the right guidance and comfort. How can we help you deal with your “Donnor Pass”? Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
We attend many trucks shows across the country every year. My favorite thing about these shows is the trucks! There are some nice ones out there. Some trucks seem bigger than my first house and have even more amenities. But the trucks I like seeing the best are older restored ones. The one that stands out in my memory was a 1952 B Model Mack. It looked completely new with eight inch stacks and lots of added chrome. I talked to the owner. He said it took a tremendous amount of time to restore that old Mack. But, what a sight for sore eyes!
It made me think about our lives as drivers. We can’t just travel along and never spend any time restoring our bodies, hearts, minds or spirits. If we don’t make time for restoration, the stress of life will break us down. Don’t forget to add time for restoration into your busy schedule. In fact, share with us what you do (or who you know) that gets you refreshed. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
Many of you experience sleeping in your truck every night of the week at a truck stop somewhere around the country. As you all know, it’s anything but quiet. To make matters worse, drivers today deal with sleep apnea, time deadlines, and the stresses of the highway that can make sleep virtually impossible. There is very little quiet time for you. Oh sure, you spend countless hours by yourself behind the wheel, but your hectic days and sleepless nights can make you feel like you’ve been in a hot, dry desert with no water to drink. You need to make sure you spend quality ‘down’ time too. Imagine slow moving water flowing through a bubbling creek. You hear nothing but the sounds of the water. It brings rest to your soul just thinking about it, doesn’t it? Quality down time is refreshing. What do you do to find peace and quiet in your hectic day? Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
I often hear and see ads on the radio and television to become a truck driver and “see the country”. These are usually accompanied by some picture of glorious mountains or a beautiful green pasture. As you and I both know, this is very seldom the case. Most of them time you are stuck in traffic or running at night when you can’t see a thing and on very little sleep. There never seems to be enough time. You always have to be somewhere. Your stress level rises with each and every line on the highway. You have to find the time to rest and relax, and put the worries of the day behind you. What is your glorious mountain or green pasture, and how do you get there? Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
We live in a real pressure cooker today. Life’s demands are overwhelming and almost impossible to keep up with. As drivers, we have even more stress added to our daily routine than most other careers. Your family needs you even though you are far from home. However, trying to meet those needs long distance is challenging which multiplies your stress level. Can you meet their needs while on the road? Are you meeting their needs at all? There are ways to manage our family’s needs, but we have to make sure that we know the difference between needs and wants. As well as knowing who should be allowed to set them in the first place. Make a list. You can prioritize or divide the list to make sure the needs are taken care of first. Then set a goal to reach the wants later. Don’t confuse the two. Another way to relieve stress when managing the needs of your family is to always look at your glass as half full, not half empty. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
We have all seen the signs on some roads that don’t allow trucks down them, or a parking lot that says “no trucks allowed.” I remember specifically in Chicago a street I was on that had low bridges on it and trucks were not supposed to be on this road (this was when Rand McNally was the only resource). I knew very quickly I was not on the right road. It is very frustrating to a driver not to have the proper directions to his or her destination. Our lives are the same way. The stress of life can get us off the right path and lead us down to a place we don’t want to be. What do you use as your road map for life? What guides you and your family through the stressful times? How can we help? Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
I recently heard someone say that the best way to handle stress in your life is to know what you can or can’t expect from others. If you first understand that you can’t change or control the way others will act, especially those you come in contact with each and every day, and you can only control yourself, you will be well on your way to handling this stress. Secondly, if you know what types of things stress you out, you can better recognize them as they come, and be more prepared or know how to avoid them completely. Do you know what stresses you out? If you need help understanding stress, let us know. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
Stress on the highway can quite often become overwhelming. One way to help with this kind of stress is to follow the rules. And if people don’t want to follow the rules, let them take a train! It always seems to be the other driver that’s not paying attention, but maybe if we give some special attention to what our following distance is, or whether or not we are using our turn signals, or even just giving a smile along the way, just maybe it will become contagious. Possibly the next driver will start to pay attention, and the next one, and after a while there could be more drivers following the rules and helping to make life less stressful. Try it and see if it works. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most vexing, what stresses you out the most while on the road? Is it the time restraints that are imposed upon the driver, always worrying whether or not you are under the necessary weight limits, the ever changing D.O.T. rules that you must adhere to, or is it something personal, such as your lack of family time, sleep, or adequate finances? Whatever it may be that you stress about, take note that each one can be overcome. With a little practice, you can begin to recognize and take the necessary steps to properly handle those things, which can help you win the battle against stress on the road. Let us know if you need help. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
There is a lot of frustration and stress regarding the new CSA 2010 regulations. Both companies and drivers are anxious about whether or not they will be able to meet the criteria that has been laid out, or perhaps not laid out, within the new guidelines. Part of the pressure revolves around facing “something new”. Not many people like change, especially when it has the potential of altering their career, or dipping into their wallets. Without knowing all the ins and outs of the regulation, let me still encourage you not to stress out over it. Worrying about something never helps; it only makes things seem worse. If you have questions, ask someone, and if you don’t understand something, do some research. There are people ready to help. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
Many trucking companies have not hesitated to dive head first into the digital age to help with the communication and accountability of their day to day operations. This has been beneficial in the area of dispatching their drivers. At one time, we had to pull over and find a payphone during business hours to receive our next instructions. Today drivers can phone in from the comfort of their cabs or even use computers to obtain their instructions. Companies now have the capability of pinpointing the exact location of their vehicles and drivers. Of course, along with the good comes the bad. Many of the positive traits are also negative stressors. Phone ringing while you’re trying to sleep is just one. How do you handle the stress of the digital age in your life? Let us know. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.
The recent upgrade and change in security at our airports makes many airline travelers very discontent. They claim it adds an additional amount of stress to their travel plans and doesn’t make it very fun for them to fly. The amount of security and stress doesn’t even come close to the amount of security and stress that truck drivers face trying to transport a load from point A to point B; not to mention if you have a load that enters, exits, or goes through another country. The requirements that drivers are forced to deal with for each and every load they sign for (or try to get someone else to sign for) would leave the normal air traveler shaking in their boots. When the stress gets to be too much for you to handle, give us a call. Comment here.
For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.
Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.