Our everyday life in urban settings means constantly moving from point A to point B. In large cities, for some people, it’s common to spend hours every day just to get from home to work and back. And while some people may like the road, others dream it passes faster. There are many ways to take your mind off the commuting, and now we will discuss some of them.
- Listen to something inspiring
This variant not just makes the time on the way to work go faster, but can get you fired up and encouraged. Podcasts or audiobooks, favorite music or radio – find something that improves your mood, then it will be easier to dive into the work. If your activity is related to creativity, look for sources of inspiration for your specific field.
- Read the company news
There is not always enough time during the day to read internal documents of the company or mailings from other departments, so why not do it in transport?
- Relax by playing games
If you have a long and difficult working day, mobile gaming will be a great way to spend time commuting to work. The abundance of mobile games makes it easy to find something you will like, whether it is a mobile casino game, or the recently released shooter.
- Make a to-do list
‘Who should I contact today? What should I pay attention to first? Which of the tasks can be postponed for later?’ – Many of us face these questions almost every working day. A pre-compiled to-do list will save your time and spare your nerves during the working day. When you come to work, you will immediately be able to focus on the first thing on the list.
- Tune in to the working day
The road gives you a chance to comfortably move from your personal life to your work one. To mitigate the “reconfiguration”, use simple rituals. Francesca Gino and Hal Hershfield from the University of California, Los Angeles found that those who repeat the same actions on the way – for example, reading the news or looking through the to–do list for the day – are more excited about the work ahead, are more satisfied with their responsibilities and experience less stress than those who do not do anything like that. So think about getting such a road habit.
- Relax
If the upcoming working day causes you stress and anxiety (and the long road only worsens the situation), allocate 5-10 minutes to just relax. Try to get your anxiety under control rather than letting it take control of you. Think about its triggers, and after that time, try to get rid of them.
- Plan your day after work
Sometimes it is useful not to plunge into work with your head right from the moment of the trip to work, but on the contrary, to devote a little extra time to your personal life. Think about your activity after the working day. Plan a meeting with friends or a movie date with your soulmate.
These are just a few of the many options that you can consider, and whatever you choose, the time spent commuting with pleasure will be the key to a productive day.