5 Tips To A More Positive Commute
No matter your profession or personal life, at least once a week, you’ll have to get out of the house and drive somewhere. For many, it’s every morning and evening at the most challenging times to drive during the day. By learning how to commute better, you can change your whole day around.
With 75% of Americans driving an average of 16 miles each way to work and 220 million spending at least 1.5 hours a day in their car, your commute to and from work can often be the most stressful part of your day. The last thing you want is to start or end your day on a negative note. Commuting can also feel like a waste of time and counterproductive to your day, especially if you have a long or challenging commute. If you use your time wisely, though, there are plenty of ways to maximize your commute, making it productive and positive.
Follow along as we give you tips on how to maximize your commute time, helping you not only in your professional life, but personal life as well.
Listen To An Audiobook Or Podcast
Find a work-related, goal-related, or simply a fun podcast or audiobook to fill your drive. Music can become monotonous, so sometimes a change in your listening habits is a good thing. A recent study even showed that podcasts can often be even more engaging than music, helping the time during your commute fly by. Let whatever podcast or audiobook your choose inspire you, enliven you, and make you laugh during your commute.
Practice And Learn New Skills
Do something valuable during your commute. Download a language app to listen to on your commute. If you’re stuck in bumper to bumper traffic with some time to kill, practice new techniques for giving speeches or presentations. Not only does this make your commute enjoyable, but it also helps to increase your confidence for future work related events. New skills don’t have to be extremely in-depth and challenging!
Use Your Drive To Connect With Friends And Family
Call up a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or contact a family member to make plans for the weekend. Connecting with others during your drive to and from work can help prepare you for the day or unwind from the day. It gives you a chance to have human interaction that isn’t pertinent to work. It also allows you to keep up with your relationships.
Practice Mindfulness During Your Commute
Find an air freshener with a relaxing scent, turn the music off, put your phone down, take a deep breath, and smile. Allowing yourself to practice mindfulness sets you up for a day of productivity. Take the time during your commute to disconnect from the world so that you’re motivated and ready to reconnect the minute you take your keys out of the ignition. Practice tuning in and being aware of your body. Feel your hands on the steering wheel, the seatbelt against your shoulder. After turning off the music, spend a second enjoying the silence and the sensation of having zero distractions. A mindfulness routine might feel unusual at first, so try easing into it. Make small efforts and be sure to reward yourself with something like a small piece of your favorite candy when you complete five minutes of mindfulness in your drive. Remember that nobody masters mindfulness in a day. Your mind will wander. When it does, gently bring it back using your mindfulness techniques.
Use Your Tools
All of us commute differently and to different places. Maybe you carpool, or meet a client somewhere new every morning, or maybe you simply have a long, stressful drive and someone at home worries about you during it. Find an app like Beacon or Waze that helps you travel safely and soundly during your morning commute. Waze gives you the access to view upcoming speed traps, accidents, and more. Beacon allows the ability to share your current location and ETA, it’s perfect for meeting up with clients, letting your carpool buddies know how much longer you will be, or giving peace of mind to your family or significant other by letting them know when you’ve arrived to work safely or when you’ll be home.
However you choose to commute, choose to make it a productive and positive experience. When the day begins on a good note, it allows you to be the best version of yourself, no matter the challenges you may encounter. When the day ends on a good note, it gives you the ability to thoroughly relax and be present for people you may see in the evening. How do you plan on creating a better commute? Share your thoughts with us!