I have a stress problem which manifests itself in extremely high blood pressure. If you look on any of the medical advice sites on the Internet, you will see that one of the controllable factors that causes stress reactions in most people is a lack of control. As soon as you enter the airport, you completely relinquish control to a whole series of events and circumstances (mostly boring ones) that are completely out of your control. You are told where to stand, what articles of clothing to remove, the manner you are to remove them, when to put them back on, where to go, when to sit down, and when to get up. You are often yelled at these days in the process if you make even the smallest mistake. It’s remarkably similar to military boot camp. Every movement is completely out of your control until you exit the airport at your destination.
When taking the train, on the other hand, you are free to assume as much control over yourself and your surroundings as you like. You can make your trip on the train as much like your home, like your office, or like any place you desire … even like a walk down the street. You enjoy complete control: an important health consideration for some people. Indeed, the absence of stressful situations has a great deal to do with the relatively relaxed condition in which you arrive at your destination when taking the train.
Most people feel tired after relatively short flights. This is caused by the small seats and the stress -- the lack of control.
And even more important: aside from reading a book, you can accomplish almost nothing while sitting on the plane. You can do almost anything you want on the train: type on your laptop, watch a movie, or call a meeting with colleagues. The train is a much better situation all around – if you have the time. The act of making the time in your schedule is, itself, a stress reducing exercise.
