“Work–life balance” is defined as prioritizing between “work” (career, financial needs) on one hand and “life” (family, leisure, spiritual development) on the other hand. Balancing work and life is not easy in today’s corporate world where the bottom line is often given priority over employee welfare.

Lack of balance can lead to burnout and absenteeism, as well as physical ailments such as cardiovascular disease, a weaker immune system, and overall poor health. Many people try to alleviate these stressors with things like binge eating or abusing alcohol and/or tobacco, all of which lead to more health problems.

While you may not have control over your driving schedule, there are some simple measures you can take to release stressors and gain control of your life:

1. Leave your work at work! At home, make time for the activities you enjoy. The more control you have, the less time you have to be stressed.
2. Let it go! You can’t control how others behave. You can, however, control how you respond to the behavior of others. Keep your emotions in check and avoid becoming stressed/angry/upset at other people’s behavior.
3. Eat a healthy diet. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and complex carbs keep you balanced mentally and physically.
4. Include physical activity in your life. Yes, you can do that even while on the road. This can be as simple as taking a brisk walk around the truck stop parking lot.
5. Get restful sleep, and enough of it. Cutting your sleep by even a couple of hours can affect your stress levels.
6. Know when to seek professional help. If your life becomes too chaotic to manage, don’t be afraid to talk to a professional. Your employer may have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), or you can access the DriversWellness.com website and click on the link to Lighthouse Network, a professional counseling service.

In future blogs, DriversWellness.com will feature more information on how to follow these tips. We live in a stressful society. What are some of the ways you release stress? Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding this message to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to DWSubscribe@driverswellness.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

How do you feel when you awaken in the morning?

Are you refreshed and ready to start the day? Or do you feel like you haven’t slept a wink even though you may have slept for several hours? Do you awaken with a dry mouth and morning headache? Do you find yourself falling asleep in the middle of the day? Does your spouse complain that you snore loudly?

How do you know when it’s sleep apnea?

These symptoms could be signs of a disorder called sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

There are two main types of sleep apnea:

1. Obstructive sleep apnea: the most common type, which occurs when throat muscles relax.
2. Central sleep apnea: in this type, the brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

How does sleep apnea affect you as a driver?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association notes that sleep apnea is a major contributor to daytime drowsiness and can prove deadly for commercial truck drivers and involved passenger vehicles.

Drivers with sleep apnea have compromised driving performance, leading to the increased risk of crashes. A study conducted by FMCSA found that individuals with sleep apnea perform as poorly as individuals with blood alcohol concentrations exceeding the legal limit.

Sleep apnea management is part of passing the DOT physical. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor for help in controlling sleep apnea:

1. Snoring loud enough to disturb the sleep of others or yourself
2. Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep
3. Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
4. Excessive daytime drowsiness.

A simple test can determine whether or not you have sleep apnea. Treatments are available to help you control sleep apnea and get a restful night’s sleep. Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding a link of this blog to your trucker friends and family.

Send an e-mail to DWSubscribe@driverswellness.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

Welcome to our new Drivers Wellness Blog. This new blog format will address concerns that have been expressed by drivers like you. You work in a unique career with unique needs.  Many of you are on the highways for weeks at a time, missing your family and dealing with challenges that workers in other professions can’t even imagine.  As you go about your lonely trip down the highway, take courage in knowing that you are not alone. We at TFC care about you; our Chapels are there for you and our Chaplains will always be there to help you manage the stresses of life on the road. Comment here.

For more information, check out the issues section on our resources page or contact us. You can also call our toll-free Trucker Prayer Line at 1-877-797-PRAY (7729). We’re here for you.

Want to help? You can help us get the word out about www.driverswellness.com by forwarding this message to your trucker friends and family.                                                                                               

Send an e-mail to DWSubscribe@driverswellness.com to subscribe to this blog for free. These messages are brought to you by Drivers Wellness, an initiative of Transport For Christ. If you would like to give a donation to help us reach drivers, click here.

The highway can be a lonely place filled with a lot of solitude. But many things can come from these times of solitude, and one of them is courage. Being alone causes us to face difficult times all by ourselves. Whether its slippery roads, bad weather, dark nights, or dangerous locations, we must persevere through these times and get through them. This takes courage, and these times can either enhance your courage or decrease it. Which will it be for you? Let us share with you how you can receive courage. Comment here.

Can you ever recall a situation while out on the road that really pushed your buttons? Some button pushers are obvious, like traffic congestion, rude drivers, and tough road conditions, but what about the not so obvious buttons? These are the times when we need to show restraint instead of lashing out. May I suggest that not even a thought of retaliation should consume our time? How? All this can be summed up in one word, Patience. Show some patience today, your life will be better for it. Comment here.

Quite often, when my children leave the house I remind them to be good by saying “Remember who you are.” My kids know what I mean by this expression; Say “No” to drugs, don’t mess with alcohol and remain sexually pure. However, I would now like to take it a step further. Being good is also an action of reaching out to those who don’t deserve goodness and being good to them anyway. Defining goodness in this way takes the emphasis off of ourselves and focuses it on others. It’s a do unto others as you would have them do unto you thing. Remember who you are today. Comment here.

Sometimes while out on the road, loneliness sets in that can seem way too heavy to bear. Let me suggest a slightly different outlook for these times. Tough times can help us grow, if we let them. Here’s just one example of how we can grow, we can develop patience. Patience doesn’t automatically come; we must go through certain circumstances to produce patience. When we’re lonely we’re in a situation where nobody is around to listen to our problems. We have no other option but to be patient until we can find someone to talk to. So next time you feel lonely, consider the good that can come of it. Comment here.