Count how many hours this week you spent in your car. After you get over the initial shock, think about how important it is to be at the maximum comfort level when you’re driving around so much. Your commute home from work is most likely tense and annoying simply because you’re unwinding from a hard day.
There are ways to ease your stress and increase your comfort and we have a list of products that can help you to do this.
Neck pillows
Maybe you’ve been sitting in an office chair all day, and now you’re sitting in a car. Your back aches, your neck is stiff, and you just want to lie down and get a massage. Unfortunately, motorized massage tables haven’t been invented, so you’ll have to settle for a simple solution.
Buy neck and lower back pillows to relieve your muscle strain after a stressful day at work. These little measures can make a huge difference in your comfort, especially if your commute is relatively long. Bonus: these pillows are portable, so you can also take them on planes and use them while you sit in your office chair.
iPod adapter
Being stuck in traffic can be one of the most boring and tedious parts of your day. You can only read the bumper stickers on the car in front of you so many times. You turn on the radio to escape the monotony, and you hear a dozen commercials about hair growth products and car dealerships. Or, if you’re lucky, you get to hear that one particular song that plays over and over again.
An iPod adapter can make your stalled commute exponentially easier to tolerate. Many iPod adapters can even work for iPhones, too. You can set up commuting playlists in advance and rock out while you wait for the cars in front of you to stop gawking at a cop that is pulling someone over for speeding.
Lavender Air Freshener
Not enough drivers take advantage of car air fresheners, which can really improve the general driving experience. Even the cleanliest people tend to let things go to the wayside in their cars, leaving French fry containers and candy wrappers lying around when they’re in a rush.
If you buy a nice air freshener, you can subtly make your ride feel homier. If you’re someone who tends to get stressed out easily, choosing a soothing sent like lavender can help calm you down on your drive home. It’s nice to choose festive scents if a holiday is coming up, like gingerbread or pine.
Comfortable driving shoes
We’re not trying to sound like your parents, but proper driving shoes aren’t only safer but more comfortable. Sure, it’s possible to drive wearing flip flops or sandals, but those aren’t the safest for the same reason. They’re not as comfortable — they move around too much every time you have to switch from the acceleration to the brake.
The best shoes have soles that aren’t too thick. That way you can properly detect the pedal underneath your feet. Also, good shoes have ridges on their soles to provide traction and reduce the possibility that your foot will slip on the pedal. Generally, increasing the safety qualities of a shoe also increases the comfort.
Car organizer
Nine times out of ten, clutter can add to stress. While having a messy car might feel more like being home (if you’re generally a messy person), that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be more comfortable. Organizing all of the items you tend to carry around will give you some more breathing room and help you to relax more.
How to Make Your Car Comfortable
A simple organizer that hangs over the back of the passenger’s seat can help you keep things clean. You can store pens, books, drinks, CDs, and other miscellaneous items that always find their way onto your car floor.
Conclusion: Because we spend so much time in our cars, we should consider them our second home, which means taking care of them and making them as comfortable as possible. The more you think of them as simply a vehicle, the less pleasant it will be to travel around. Do yourself a favor and take a little time to spruce up your car for your own emotional benefit — we know it’ll make a difference.
