So last week I got thinking – driving takes forever sometimes, right? Especially with traffic jams. Used to light up a cig whenever I got stressed behind the wheel. Felt normal. But then I saw this thing online about car health rules – like opening windows, stretching breaks, all that. Got me wondering: which junk is actually better for my health? Gotta try both ways myself, figure stuff out.
First Round: Sticking With Smokes
Alright, decided to test the smoking thing first since it’s my old habit. Grabbed a pack of my usuals. Drove to work Monday morning – bam, instant traffic standstill. Felt the tension creeping up. Lit one up like always. Took a drag, blew smoke out the window. Felt that quick little chill for maybe two minutes? Then bam – headache started pounding halfway through the cig. Got to work feeling kinda grubby, throat scratchy.
Kept this up all week. Every drive, every traffic jam – cigarette time. By Wednesday, noticed my car reeked. Seriously, the stink just sat there, even without smoking. Thursday my eyes felt all gritty driving home. Friday? Full-blown coughing fit on the highway exit ramp. Felt drained, man. Wiped out. Checked my wallet too – half the cash just gone on cigs. Messy.
- Throat felt like sandpaper by day three.
- Car smelled like an ashtray permanently.
- Wasted a stupid amount of cash.
- Constantly hunting for the stupid lighter.
- Zero chill after the smoke – just tired.
Switching Gears: Trying Car Rules
Monday morning, left the cigs at home. Felt weird, man. Empty dashboard spot where the pack usually sat. Got stuck in the same damn traffic. Felt that stress bubble up again. Remembered the rules I read: rolled every window down halfway. WHOOSH. Cold air slapped my face. Instant wake-up. Took deep breaths – actual air, not smoke.
Instead of lighting up when stressed, I switched on some chill piano music. Fiddled with the radio like it was a lifeline. Got to work feeling… lighter? Not headachey at least. Next day, added something new: pulled over for five minutes halfway. Got out, stretched like I was warming up for nothing. Leaned against the car. Just breathed. Felt kinda silly standing there, but whatever. By Wednesday, packed a water bottle. Drank that instead of craving a smoke.
- No weird smells building up inside.
- Kept extra water bottles handy.
- Got some cheesy “Calm Driving” playlist going.
- Took a stretch break even just leaning outside the car.
What Actually Went Down
The smoking week? Pure misery. Headaches, coughing fits, that disgusting stale smell clinging to my jacket. Felt sluggish, pissed off wasting cash. The car rules? Took effort, gotta admit. Forgetting the water bottle sometimes. Having to actually pull over when stressed felt kinda dumb at first. But the difference hit me hard.
By Friday of the rules week, drove home stuck in bad traffic again. No smoke. Rolled windows down. Cold air. Piano music. Deep breaths. Didn’t even realize I wasn’t tensing up until I got home. Throat wasn’t burning. No headache. Car smelled… well, like nothing. Just neutral. Actually had cash leftover for a decent takeout pizza too. Felt cleaner. Felt more awake.
No Big Surprise Here
Thought it’d be close? Nah. Getting lungfuls of nasty smoke trapped in a metal box? Versus breathing actual outside air and moving a little? Zero contest. The smoking “solution” was just poisoning myself slowly while the car got filthy and my wallet bled cash. The car rules? Basically just basic things – letting fresh air in, drinking water, not sitting like a statue. Felt boring compared to the cig ritual at first. But man, feeling better is way less boring than coughing your guts up. Stretch breaks save my back too. Guess that settles it.
