re: Why can't one sleep well before a long drive? Although I may be late in replying but it might prove useful to someone. Read patiently till the end.
This, I have written after practising myself and by the experiences of those whom I have advised.
The human brain is a masterpiece that works in a comlex manner but nevertheless it can be fooled and tricked. Optical illusions and memory games are proof of what I'm saying. So what is it that is fooling the brain to induce the adrenal gland to secrete adrenaline and increase anxiety? It is pure excitement that harbors stress, fear of under-preparation, anticipation of obstacles and so on. The trick is to fool the brain into thinking that, like brushing, bathing, dressing, working, et cetera, even the trip and the driving is nothing but a habitual exercise.
Careful analysis and execution of certain elements can eliminate each of the reasons that promote anxiety. The major work that has to be done is on the aptitude and attitude for the trip as is with everything that we do in life. (Now this can be done regardless of whether the trip is pre-planned or impromptu.)
For the aptitude:
At all times -
- Keep a decent bag with all necessary ownership/legal/travel documents needed with other accessories. I have a cute black sling bag that contains the following at all times so I just have to pop it in the car when I have to go without a second thought: all papers (RC book, Insurance, PUC, Last 2 alignment reports, Battery warranty, my pan-card photocopy as ID proof, a blank page), a torch with extra batteries, a car inverter, stereo panel, CDs, USBs, 2 spare headlamp bulbs, a photo-pen, mosquito repellant, toothbrushes, blades, first-aid, duster cloth, wax-polish and spare coins. Since the bag is decent, I can carry it to any party too. This way all the car valuables are with me all throughout my journey.
- The standard toolkit should always be in the boot along with the jack-tommy, et cetera.
A few days before the trip -
- Make sure the route is finalized and checked for updates. Our 'heaven' teamBHP does that wonderfully.
- Check alignment, wheels and tyres, general maintenance, servicing.
- Keep money for the toll organized properly.
On the day of the trip or one day prior -
Take the car on a spin to check some last minute discrepancies, et cetera.
Actually there's a lot more you can do if you follow some of the threads on this site.
For the attitude:
- What I do is meditate daily, not just for the trip but for life generally. Just a few minutes before you retire and a few minutes before you leave the bed after waking up everyday, make a list of sure-fire encounters in the day, general anticipations and how you would tackle them. It's like anticipating the opponent's moves while playing chess. Chances are that with practice, you will get a few anticipations on target and you don't have to tax your mind on those 'cause you've already planned/rationed for it. All that remains is execution. This has always proved beneficial for me because I've been meditating for a long time and hence have been successful in anticipating a lot of on-road encounters/adventures and almost mishaps with good accuracy.
Since I do it on a daily basis, I don't suffer the anxiety before/on the day of any trip because all situations now are well thought of and already under control.
- If the trip is planned before a few days, what I do is try sleeping and waking up for a few days exactly at the time I would need to sleep and wake up on the day of the trip. After a day or two, the body adjusts to the sleep pattern and then I'm not sleep-deprived on the D-day.
And since everything is taken care of, the anxiety vanishes and you can sleep peacefully.
These are a few things that worked for me and my friends who followed them.
Have a safe, peaceful and relaxed trip. |