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You aren't the only one who just sits in the car before or after a long day
Experts say a few mindful minutes can improve mood, but phone scrolling can turn the pause into more stress.
- Sitting in a parked car before or after a long day has become a common ritual, with people increasingly sharing this behavior online as a way to reset between activities.
- Psychologist Thuy-vy Nguyen of Durham University and founder of Solitude Lab explains the car serves as an "in-between space" because people maintain total control over their environment, from temperature to music.
- Clinical psychologist Jenny Taitz of Beverly Hills observes life moves at "100 miles an hour," yet taking five minutes to slow down allows for an intentional reset rather than avoidance.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill psychologist Anthony Vaccaro practices this by sitting in his parked car after work, turning up the speakers to listen to one more song before moving forward.
- Whether the pause helps or hurts depends on how time is spent; scrolling on a phone or ruminating on upsetting thoughts can turn a reset into a stressor rather than a buffer.
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26 Articles
26 Articles
Associated Press News+22 Reposted by 22 other sources
You aren't the only one who just sits in the car before or after a long day
Pausing to decompress in a parked car can help you reset, if you keep a few things in mind. That temporary pause can act as a buffer between one part of the day and the next.
·United States
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Total News Sources26
Leaning Left8Leaning Right1Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
L 33%
C 63%
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