4 Great Ways to Improve Your Commute

Nowadays we live in a digital age. We can access information from around the globe in real-time at the swipe of a smartphone screen, we can shop 24/7 from stores located around the globe and are no longer restricted by the limits of opening hours or time zones. Yet with all of this technology and accessibility, the average daily commute has managed to increase over the years and become all the more tedious.

Also read: Are You Surviving or Thriving? Making Your Commute to Work, Work for You

Research has identified that the average London commute is one hour twenty-one minutes, and for the regions, it is fifty-eight minutes – the national average dictates that 38 working days are spent commuting, a lot of wasted time that could be put to better use. So, what do you do on your commute? Are you making the most of this time, that you are otherwise wasting?

To help you make the most of this enforced still time, here are 4 ways that you can spend your time.

Make lists

Whether you prefer to write lists in your diary, on your smartphone or just mentally, use your commute to make lists of the things that you need to achieve throughout the day, week or even a list of long-term goals you wish to accomplish. The commute is the ideal time to plan the day ahead, so that once you arrive at your destination, you are focused on what needs to be completed. Mentally preparing for the day ahead gives you the structure to achieve the goals that you have set, and if you have time to consider ways to complete each item on your itinerary, add it to the list.

To-do lists do not have to be limited to workplace demands, use the time to reflect on what you need to do at home too. For instance, any appointments you need to make, groceries to buy or things to do for the upcoming weekend if you have a busy one.

Get inspired

Use the commute to read. While you don’t need to commit to reading War and Peace, there are plenty of options open to you that offer abridged versions of books either in text or as an audiobook that can provide a welcome distraction. Check out this Blinkist review or this Blinkist guide by Satori to see the correlation between reading a book and workplace success and how the app can help busy individuals decide which book is best for future successes. Your commute can be used to enrich your life mentally.

Relax

Relaxation may not immediately be the first thing that your commute provides. However, use your time to sit still and reflect. Coping with delays, overcrowding and the public in general, can make a commute a stressful ordeal, but you can teach yourself to switch off from the outside and turn your commute into a tranquil journey through meditation.

Also read: Mindfulness and Happiness at Work: How a Few Breaths Can Improve Your Business

With practice, you will arrive at work feeling relaxed and ready to face the challenges that arise with a new dynamic, and you will be able to return home having left work at the office. Practice deep breathing and overcome the stresses of the commuter lifestyle.

Exercise

While undertaking the plank would never be advisable on your commute, you can use your commute to exercise: get off the tube or bus a few stops early and make sure that you have a good brisk walk for the final leg of your journey. A daily twenty-minute walk will get your heart pumping and the blood circulating so that you are energized for the rest of the day.

Your commute to work is necessary, but it can feel like a frustrating waste of your precious time. Try to use the time to benefit you, rather than stress you out, and you will find that your work life and home life improves as a consequence as you are more organized and relaxed – you may even find that you enjoy it!