Some of us spend over an hour commuting back and forth to work every day. In fact, many of us spend over ten hours in total commuting every week (which, discounting holidays, is about twenty days’ worth of time spent commuting in a year!). This may sound soul-destroying, but it doesn’t have to be – by putting your commute to good use you can turn this wasted time into productive time. Here are just seven ways to put your commute to better use.
Get a head start at work
Tackle that bulging inbox. If you take a bus or train to work and are often faced with an overwhelming amount of emails to get through in the morning, you could try replying to some of these messages on your commute to try and lessen the workload throughout the day. Alternatively, you may be able to make some morning calls or start writing up a report on your laptop.
Catch up on TV shows
If working on your commute doesn’t sound appetising, you could make it part of your leisure time by using it to catch up on your favourite TV shows. There are many apps that can allow you to watch TV on your phone/tablet and by looking into an unlimited data plans comparison you can prevent running out of data mid-programme. Obviously, this is something best suited to trains and buses (watching TV whilst driving could be tricky).
Get some exercise
You may be able to fit in a workout on your commute. If you usually drive on your commute and your workplace isn’t too far away, you could consider taking up cycling instead. There was a time I did a cycle-train-cycle commute to and from work. As for buses and trains, opt to stand up – this can be great for our sense of balance and can actually provide a small core workout.
Train your brain
Alternatively, you could try some mental exercises on your commute. Puzzle games and quizzes are all great for expanding our brain and urging us to think smarter. Such games can even be used to destress.
Read a book
Your commute could be the ideal time to read a book. You could buy yourself an e-reader and download some cheap books to read in your own time. If you drive to work meanwhile, you could try listening to audiobooks.
Learn another language
This is a great use of what can otherwise be dead time. For those that have always wanted to learn a new language, the commute could also be a good opportunity for this. For train and bus commutes, you could download apps and games to help develop your language skills. Meanwhile, there are plenty of audiobooks to use when driving that can help you to learn another language.
Meditate
You don’t have to do anything on your commute. In fact, doing nothing at all could be a great way to relieve stress. There are apps that can help you to meditate and clear your mind – by doing so you get to work and return home feeling calmer and less drained.
* This post was sourced for the yorkshiredad.com
