Deadly Commute

If you're anything like me, you get up REALLY early and drive to work for a while.This seems innocuous enough, but it can get dangerous. Not to mention all the usual hazards of driving, but there is something that I fight every day that I simply wasn't expecting. Fatigue. More specifically, falling asleep when I'm driving.

Fortunately, I have never completely fallen asleep at the wheel and driven off a road, or gotten into a car crash. But there have been times too close for comfort. Falling asleep at red lights, or in bumper to bumper traffic is another problem. This is a common problem as I learned from some basic research. There is even an article on how to stay awake while driving.

Ugh, if I had a nickel...(source)

This seems like a boring subject, I know. But it is something that many, many people face every day when driving to, or coming home from work. You know how it is! Whether it's a poor night sleep, lack of sleep, boredom, things make us tired, and sometimes we have no control over when. And falling asleep while driving doesn't always end well. There are consequences which should be obvious.

Sleepy drivers, as I found out, can be just as dangerous as drunk drivers. I found this article that laid it all out quite nicely. It's a real problem with real consequences. Like any problem, there are usually a whole host of ways to solve it.

As for me, I've learned tips and tricks here and there, and I even recognized a few from the article that helps me stay awake when I'm pushing through my morning commute. Drinking cold water helps, along with moving your body so that you can never get completely comfortable. Strong flavors work well too, especially ones that you don't like. I avoid energy drinks like the plague when driving- if the drink wears off while I'm behind the wheel, now I have double the amount of grogginess that I have to deal with.

Don't be this guy! (source)

Your commute's time of day and work schedule can also screw you up so badly that you may develop Shift Work Sleep Disorder, or SWSD. I never even knew about it until I did some research. Evidently, people that suffer from this disorder either can't fall asleep, or fall asleep at inopportune times. Combine this with a commute that varies in time and involves a lot of steady driving, and you have a recipe for disaster, trust me.

I know this subject is dry, but if you are like me, you know how scary it is to feel yourself slipping into sleep while you're driving a damn car. Hopefully, this entry helps someone stay awake on the road out there. For all our sakes.

Worry Will Destroy You

Business and life are two things that intertwine and rarely support each other naturally.

Humans worry about everything. The ones that don't worry, typically have no worries or simply don't care. For the rest of us, we have to deal with it. Stress, worry, fear, name it. There are a lot of negative emotions that can be tied to business, especially if you are letting it completely dominate every aspect of your life.

Work and life are also two separate entities. Even though they run closely side by side, it simply doesn't matter. Last time I checked, life happens first, and then you get a job. So why wouldn't we make our job have some kind of meaning in our life? Some importance? Even if you hate your job. Easier said than done I'm sure.

Many of us don't have too many options when it comes to working. Jobs are tricky nowadays, and a lot of companies are much less apt to risk wasting assets on training when applicants don't work out. So this means that some of us may not be working in a completely ideal situation. But this is okay.

How much of your life do you control? None? All? Some? Did you come up with this percentage? You control all of your life, all the time. But. There are many more things in this world than just you. Many outside forces you can't control. So what do you do? Simple.

Relish having no control.

Life occurs outside of our plans. Outside of anything that we may have prepared for, really, and it is up to us as humans, honest hard working humans, to endure. That's what we must do. Endure.

There are plenty of things to worry about. But I'll keep this entry short and sweet. Worry about the big things you have control over. Everything else? I plan on waiting to see what life has in store. Do you?