The psychology of sitting in your car before going inside

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.

The car is an environment people can have total control over, from the temperature to the music.

Whether that pause actually helps depends on how the time is spent.

Try not to scroll on your phone and instead take some deep breaths, listen to music or make a plan for the hours to come.

Think of it less like stalling, and more like refueling.