Rising temper when tired and bored

[Corzhens]

This usually happens when we have a long trip and the highway would have a traffic jam. We had experienced it many times when a 5-hour trip would last 10 hours because of the unknown traffic in the provincial highway. In times like that, my husband would be exhibiting his tantrums. He hates to be waiting for long especially when inside a vehicle. Sometimes he would go down the van and walk around to check on the other vehicles on the road, ask around why the traffic is not moving, just to fight the boredom. And when he is confined inside the vehicle for an hour, surely, he would explode by expressing his disgust using curses. But now he is quite civil in times like that because his phone has a pocket wifi so at least he can open his social media account or maybe do something on his phone.

 

[John Snort]

According to researchers the cumulative effect of getting annoyed because they have to wait longer than they expected for anything — waiting for traffic to start moving, queuing up somewhere, waiting to see the doctor, etc — is bad for your mental health. So for anyone who regularly gets angry/stressed at traffic jams you should try to find ways to cope with that because getting angry (often) won't be good for you in the long run.

 

[oportosanto]

No question here, I get angry way more often when I am tired than when I am not or at least when I am not stressed. For example, if I spend a few hours with my kids they just build on me and I get angry easily, but if I just walk in I tend to see things in a more calmer way.

 

[amy88]

When I drive places I try and make my car an enjoyable place to be, so that if I am stuck in traffic I don't get stressed. Audio books, podcasts or just fun tunes all help me de-stress and make long trips more enjoyable.

 

[sidney]

I'm quite patient most of the time, but yes, I can be quite a bit irritated if I have been waiting for way too long. I tend to tap my fingers or move my hands since I feel like I'm waiting for an excessive amount of time already and I have nothing to do to get up and distract myself. I remember being at job interviews where you're not allowed to even have your phone with you. Needless to say, the waiting got me quite irritated.

 

[pwarbi]

Around the world I think that the English are well known for queuing up, so in my experience living in England myself, I have to say that the only time I've experienced that kind of anger is when we are stuck in traffic jams. That though is a combination of not being able to get where we want to go, and also having to deal with other people that in our eyes aren't fit to be on the road in the first place.


We all have our limits, and some people will tolerate a lot before they start to become angry, but for others they can blow up at the least little thing. While I'm sure that there are ways to calm ourselves down, I do think that there comes a point when even a saint's patience will be severely tested.

 

[Sue]

It doesn't bother me to wait in traffic jams. It is all a part of travelling and I expect it. It is something I have no control over so I just take it for what it is. I always have a book along with me for times like that. My fiance on the other hand is very impatient and he gets so mad when he has to wait. His blood pressure goes up and he becomes very irritated and I just don't get it. Telling him to calm down only makes matters worse. So rather then let it get to me I just open my book and do my best to block him out. After he gets through the traffic and we are on our way again he is fine.

 

[NormaD]

That happens to you and everyone else in the world. I think that all people young and old get grumpy and short-tempered when they are tired than when they are well-rested. I personally find that I tend to fly off the handle and over-react in situations way more than I would have otherwise. I took up meditation to help me with this, and I have to say, it's working very well.

 

[thecorinthian]

I know where you're coming from traffic is really terrible in the Philippines and I would know because I'm a Filipino. So sorry to hear about your husband's bad temper but trust me when I say his rage is deeply relatable. I have bouts of road rage sometimes especially when I 'm rushing to work and there's been an accident or something. One really needs to have a level head and a lot of patience to beat traffic.

 

[justsayyes]

Getting worked up over something is part of being human but if it happens all the time and over the smallest things, then a person is more likely showing a sign of a serious psychological issues. Traffic jams are really one of the worst things we have to deal with in our every day life, i guess you just have to take extra measures to make sure you won't get stuck in traffic.

 

[hades_leae]

When I'm in a car for a long time, I have to make myself feel at home, especially if it's hot outside. I have my music, relax in my seat as if I'm on the couch, and I make the temperature to what will make me so relaxed that I don't pay attention to the situation I don't want to be in.


I had this one job where I would get there in 20 minutes when there was no traffic. When it was, it would take a little over an hour, I prepared for that by making myself as comfortable in the car because you can easily get agitated from many things. To me it's about governing my emotions and feelings in situations I know I'm going to be in.

 

[oportosanto]

That's the best idea hades_leae, we need to prepare ourselves for what is coming because if we don't our stress and anxiety levels might rise. Talking about traffic, I get crazy with it as I am usually not stuck in traffic, so when I need to drive to work I can arrive already tired because I was stuck in traffic.

 

[janemariesayed]

This usually happens when we have a long trip and the highway would have a traffic jam. We had experienced it many times when a 5-hour trip would last 10 hours because of the unknown traffic in the provincial highway. In times like that, my husband would be exhibiting his tantrums. He hates to be waiting for long especially when inside a vehicle. Sometimes he would go down the van and walk around to check on the other vehicles on the road, ask around why the traffic is not moving, just to fight the boredom. And when he is confined inside the vehicle for an hour, surely, he would explode by expressing his disgust using curses. But now he is quite civil in times like that because his phone has a pocket wifi so at least he can open his social media account or maybe do something on his phone.

when travelling a long distance, my parents would have my two siblings and me sit in the back of the car while they were in the front. We used to play games so we didn't get bored. We would play 'count all the red cars' or 'first to spot any cattle'. Sometimes we would sing. We would also stop half way on the journey and eat a picnic lunch on some green grass somewhere. The whole journey was made interesting. When we weren't playing a game or singing, we fell asleep.

As it has turned out, as an adult I love driving and especially taking in the sights as I go. Even in a traffic jam!