For many of us, the hour or more that we spend getting to and from work is at best uneventful and at worst a nightmare of packed trains or traffic jams.
Here are a few tips on how you can reclaim your commute and use this time as a useful part of your day.
1. Read a book – According to research conducted by the University of Sussex, and reported in The Daily Telegraph, reading can reduce stress levels by up to 68%. It’s a great way to escape your surroundings and refresh your mind either before or after the working day.
2. Check your emails – A mundane task that takes a while but must be done so why not get it out of the way on your commute.
3. Listen to music or an audiobook – Do you travel to work on the underground with no signal and no free hands to hold a book or phone? Or do you drive to work and have to keep your eyes on the road. Like reading, listening to music is a stress reliever and aids relaxation, perfect after a hard day’s work.
4. Learn something – We all have it, that one thing you’ve been meaning to learn but can never seem to find the time to make it happen. Now you can with online providers such as Coursera and Skillshare which don’t cost anything to get started. You can download lessons meaning you won’t use up all your data streaming videos; just remember to do it before you head off.
5. Write a to-do list – Give yourself a head start by getting into the right frame of mind for the working day as you start thinking about the office and what you need to get done. You could even write a list on the way home for the following day.
6. Do some meditation – Living a busy city life in the rat race, many of us are familiar with the feeling of being unable to switch off. Download one of the many mindfulness apps (“Headspace”, “Mindfulness: The Art of Being Human” and “Stop, Breathe and Think” are currently top rated) and use the time to disconnect from your work life before you get home.
7. Sleep! – It might not look productive, but a 10 to 20 minute nap will provide a quick boost of alertness, leaving you refreshed rather than groggy. Perhaps set a silent alarm to go off so you don’t miss your stop!
8. Write a blog post – This one was written on the London Overground!
What will you do on your way home tonight? Reclaim your commute and make it a valuable and useful part of your day.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
