Commuting can be a terrible, annoying, and uncomfortable waste of time. But it is an opportunity to multitask in your busy life. Whether you are driving or taking public transport or even walking or biking. Until teleportation becomes a fact, commuting is to stay. So, instead oflooking at work-from-home opportunities as the way to keep all yourself from the daily trek down the turnpike, try that time in the car in the best possible ways.
Here are some tips you can turn a negative into a positive.
Listen to Podcasts
Take a little time and catch up on all the text you aren’t doing. Try a podcast or an audiobook on your headphones or car stereo. Your commute time will fly by and you will learn stuff! You will get all the pleasure of reading without having to have your hands free.
Listening to the radio during driving provides news and entertainment. And what you hear on the radio is rarely perfectly unbiased news. It is provided by professional reporters and has a smaller margin for error than news spread via social posting
You can then compare what you learn there to your preferred social media sources, and you’ll have a multifaceted understanding of what is going on in the world.
Discover new music
Bored of your same old Spotify playlists? Tired of your music and not sure where to turn for your new favorite tunes? Use your commute to try new artists. If you have wifi access while you commute, try a streaming station. However, if not, please make a list of bands you hear about on the radio or at work and find them on Spotify and download a playlist to your phone. If you like it, keep it! If not, delete it!
Sure, sometimes you just want to start your day with music you know and love, or something that sets the mood for the day. However, other times it can be great to explore a new artist, check out Spotify’s Discover playlist, try something new like previously-mentioned Playlist a Day. Even check out a completely new music service that’s full of tunes you won’t hear elsewhere. It is so easy to complain there’s nothing good or new to listen to these days, but honestly, just a little effort to find something great pays off in droves.
Practice self-care
Your commute might be the only time you have “to yourself” in the week. You should make yourself a priority and do something for your mental well being. Try doing gratitude journaling exercises, or just thinking about things that are going well in your life. Try a simple meditation technique. Or deep breathing. Try giving yourself time to read something for fun and tune the rest of the world out. It provided you don’t miss your stop. Or use the time to connect via phone or email to a friend or family member you don’t get to see enough. If all fails, you try to decompress a bit and cut your stress.
You can slow down
Give yourself a little time. Therefore, you are not always racing to be on time. If you know how to take your time, you can linger a bit and smell the roses. Take a moment to sit and sip in a latte. Or enjoy when you run into traffic. Slowing down a little could be a grounding way to start your day.
Relaxing may seem impossible if you are driving through urban traffic, but you can use this time alone to decompress. Working and driving can be stressful independent of one another, so the combination could have dangerous effects on sleep, mood, and productivity.
To make this commute a practice in self-care, pick music or an entertaining podcast to accompany your drive. Get an Audible subscription and listen to novels—don’t worry about learning something; just focus on making your trip relaxing.
Check-in with your work progress
Evaluating your progress hebdomadal is too daunting a duty. But if you are stuck on a train or in traffic, you can do a little self-review and see how you did meeting your goals that day. And strategize how you can improve tomorrow. Make sure you are working through your top priorities, and not just spending your day on the less important stuff.
Learn new skills
Do you want to expand your skills but don’t have much time? If you are the average commuter, you have about an hour a day to spend in the car where you may learn anything you would like through verbal instruction.
It is probably not the best way to learn graphic design, but to learn about marketing, health, family relationships, or just about anything else, you can use your commuting time. You can find a podcast that specializes in your area of interest, or you can take an online class with recorded lectures. You may not be earning your next degree, but you can gain a great deal of knowledge during that commute. Also, you can spend this time learning a foreign language. You can listen to formal lessons through instructional recordings, and as your vocabulary increases, listen to books or podcasts in your target language.
Mix up your route once in a while
If your commute is too long or annoying, please try to find a better workaround! Thinking outside your rut may give your brain a boost, and you might just find a way to make your life that much more pleasant! Keep in mind a longer route that’s less annoying stops could make all the difference.
Brainstorm solutions to your problems
Use the time to brainstorm or troubleshoot problems at home or work. Take advantage of being alone with your thoughts and start strategizing. You never know what the next big answer can come while you are spacing out and giving your brain a break.
Sit in silence
Maybe your life moves too fast and you are already optimizing every waking moment to get the most out of your time. You may read and listen and engage too much. You try to cram too much in. Also, you try turning off your phone, your music, putting away that book or magazine and sit there not doing anything at all. Focus only on getting where you need to go safely. You and your fellow passengers will all benefit.
Meditate
Be present at the moment. You don’t need special props or techniques. Be where you are, take a few breaths, and shut your eyes. Give your brain the recharge it deserves.
This meditation practice is an excellent introduction to meditation techniques.
- You should sit or lie comfortably. And, you may even want to invest in a meditation chair or cushion.
- Also, close your eyes. We recommend you use one of Cooling Eye Masks or Restorative Eye Pillows if lying down.
- Next, make no effort to control the breath; try to breathe naturally.
- Finally, focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation. Then, notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Observe your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and belly. You should focus your attention on your breath without controlling its pace or intensity. And, if your mind wanders, return your focus to your breath.
You should maintain this meditation practice for two to three minutes to start, and then try it for more extended periods. It also helps you practise how to calm your nerves before speaking better.
Ask if you can skip it
If you have more opportunities to work remotely, convince your boss, you wouldn’t have to commute every day. Make the argument about how much more productive you could be at that time. It is regularly worth a shot! If that is not an option, consider moving closer, and carpooling. Anything to decrease or cut out this part of your daily grind.
You can take public transportation:
Opting to take public transportation instead of your car can be something you enjoy. You don’t have to worry about traffic, or running out of gas. You sit down and watch the world go by until you arrive.
In addition to requiring less of your energy and concentration, public transportation also costs much less than filling your tank! You may even end up arriving earlier than you would have in your car.
If you are someone who loves conversation, it may be a nice place to have a chat with a stranger on your way to work. Who knows who you could meet! Every day is an adventure on public transit.
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