As we all know, this has been a brutal winter for much of the country. Truckers certainly have to deal with the winter weather more than the average person. Not only is it harder to stay warm in the truck, but there are more cold related mechanical problems, bad road conditions, and the sheer pain of having to work in the cold weather.
The feelings that come along with cold weather are often overlooked. No one sees the headline “Here Comes Seasonal Depression.” There is plenty of talk about potential frostbite, ice, snow, and wind chills,but there is nothing about how we are going to react to these
conditions. Therefore, we often ignore the negative feelings that come along with all of these physical problems.
• Expose yourself to as much natural light as possible. If you can drive during daytime hours, this will help.
• Buy a lamp with a full spectrum bulb. The inexpensive ones work just fine. This mimics the sun’s light and can lift your mood.
• Listen to tropical music, watch your favorite movies that are set in the summertime.
• Limit your exposure to news and talk radio that is focused on wintertime problems.
• Be sure to call home frequently and talk with friends and family about more positive things.
• When you catch yourself dwelling on the weather, change your thoughts to something possible.
• Remember, since you cannot change the weather, you can either adapt or stress yourself out by dwelling on it.
• Dressing warmly not only helps the body, but it also helps the spirit. If you dress more warmly, you are more likely to get some exercise outside of your truck. Exercise helps with better attitudes.
• Accept that life is tougher in winter and remember that spring will come!
About Buck Black
I am a licensed therapist (LCSW) in private practice who focuses on
anger, stress, and relationships. I do this both in my Lafayette
Indiana office and online. I also specialize in working with truckers
and their families over the phone and on Skype at
www.TruckerTherapy.com.