Sometimes the daily commute to work can be incredibly long and stressful: from bumper to bumper traffic to elbow room on the train or bus. Some even take commuter flights to get to their destination, which takes even more time and effort just for the paycheck.
The daily commute to work can be filled with activities that can lend itself to a less stressful commute as well as an enjoyable one. Here are 3 ways that take the stress away, utilizes what is usually idle time or not productive time in a productive manner, and is enjoyable at the same time.
1. Set some reading goals
2. Sharpen the saw
3. Socialize or catch up on communication
If you are a driver, the number one concern is road safety. Please abide by all the rules before attempting any of these helpful hints on making your daily commute a better one.
1. Set some reading goals
The daily commute is the perfect place to catch up on your reading. If you are traveling 30 minute or more by bus, car, train or even an airplane, set a reading goal and make it a point to achieve that goal. A reading goal could be: read a book a month or, finish the Bible in 12 months. These reading goals can be done in the car through books on tape/CD.
Taking the time to read within these 30 minute time frame (or listen) you can always get several pages or books in during your commute instead fighting desperately to squeeze 10 minutes a day at home to read – which, in most instances, other personal priorities take over and you then never get to read.
Create reading goals that are achievable and fulfilling! Make it a game, set pages up as a goal, and get the dust off those unread books off the shelf!
2. Sharpen the saw
Your brain is a terrible thing to waste, as they say. You constantly need to keep sharpening your brain skills – especially when you are stuck doing the same routine over and over at work. A University study concluded that if you drive 12,000 miles a year as part of your daily commute for three years, and listen to educational CDs during that commute, equates to a two year college education.
This is an incredible revelation for those who want to do more for themselves but never seem to have the time. Listen to books self improvement, leadership, economics, or any thing else that you may have been interested in but never had the time. The cumulative effects is a healthy brain and, in three years, a 2 year college education!
3. Socialize or catch up on communication
Don’t wait to get home
to make your calls to your family or friends. Take care of it while you are commuting, that way you can limit yourself to that time frame for socializing. That way, your personal life will be filled with maybe more productive things outside of mindless time wasted on the phone. By limiting yourself to the time frame of your daily commute can give yourself more time away from the job doing more productive things.
If you are on a train or bus, communicate with others. Enhance your social skills. A simple question can start off an hour’s worth of conversation: “So, what do you do?” This could lead to personal as well as business relationships in the future. As you expand your circle of influence/friends, you are opening the doors for more opportunities.
These three tips on making your commute more enjoyable are meant to also improve yourself. Mindless gaming like a Nintendo Game Boy may lead to added stress and does not provide: 1) mind expansion, 2) a college education, and 3) an expansion of your social network.
Try these tips today and stick to it. Share your experience with other commuters and see where you are 90 days from now – you’ll definitely have read more books, you will be more educated, and you will have a bigger circle of friends.
Source:
1.http://www.helium.com/items/1745886-ways-to-learn-to-enjoy-the-daily-commute-to-work
2.http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Barack_Obama_returns_to_the_Oval_Office_after_an_hamburger_run.jpg
