---
title: Waze and Headspace partner on a peaceful commute
description: Waze and Headspace partnered to launch a mindful driving experience to curb road rage.
---

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# [Waze and Headspace partner on a peaceful commute](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/10132021-waze-headspace)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Oct 13, 2021 6:17:04 AM

The next time you’re in traffic, you can chill out thanks to a partnership between 2 popular apps.

Navigation app Waze ([140m](https://www.waze.com/)+ users) and meditation app Headspace ([70m](https://thehustle.co/08312021-ginger-headspace/) users) released a new mindful driving experience yesterday in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. You’ll find it as a Headspace theme within the Waze app.

#### **Users can:**

- Get their audio navigation from the soothing voice of Eve Lewis Prieto, Headspace’s director of meditation
- Turn their car icon into a hot air balloon
- Listen to a custom playlist of Headspace music and podcasts
- Choose from 1 of 5 “moods” — aware, bright, hopeful, joyful, and open. Moods are avatars drivers can use to share their feelings.

#### **How stressful is driving?**

Very! And its impacts last even beyond the road:

- Studies [show](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5642886/) driving for long hours elicits an extended stress response.
- The UK Office of National Statistics [found](https://www.asphaltrs.co.uk/road-maintenance-services/#:~:text=The%20UK%20Office%20of%20National,on%20average%20than%20non%2Dcommuters) that commuters experience decreased happiness and increased anxiety after just 15 minutes of driving.
- The Journal of Public Economics published an [analysis](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/upshot/stuck-and-stressed-the-health-costs-of-traffic.html) of LA traffic, finding that congestion increased nighttime domestic violence by ~9%.
- Road rage is a factor in [66%](https://www.safemotorist.com/articles/road-rage/) of fatal accidents.

#### **It’s not meditation but being present behind the wheel**

Prieto says that driving is actually a great time for mindfulness as it requires focus, awareness, and using one’s senses.

For more, check out some tips from psychologist Seth Gillihan, who suggests [noticing](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201611/can-you-meditate-while-driving) what we see, hear, and feel.

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/10132021-waze-headspace)

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