How to turn your awful commute into the best part of your day.
Hint: It does not involve checking your Facebook feed.
Ok, before you say anything: I’ve read articles like this too. They’ll have you believe that taking public transportation is really a blessing in disguise and that you can take that crowded A train car and turn it into your own private Zen garden. And hey, here at Moodica we are ALL about zen gardens and mental vacations, but when you have exactly 25 seconds to make a train or face the wrath of your boss…it’s not exactly a situation that evokes warm, fuzzy feelings.
I’ve fought the dystopian nightmare of Los Angeles rush hour traffic, juggled my way through Atlanta’s spaghetti junctions, hurdled the Rubix Cube that is the London underground and, currently, willingly submerge myself into the dark recesses of the New York City subway. (Btw, NYC? You’re winning.) Take it from me: commuting, quite simply, stinks…and often, that’s meant very literally.
For every rare morning that you get a seat on the subway/bus with elbow room to take out your book-in-progress, there are 10 other days when you are literally pressed into a stranger’s inconveniently placed armpit. And for every morning that you’ve got a straight-and-narrow on the freeway, there are countless other mornings of bumper-to-bumper traffic. (Um…Atlanta? Y’all need to put. your. phones. down.)
In case you can’t tell? This writer believes there is nothing. Fun. About. Commuting. And, yes, I’ll be the first one to admit: a tedious commute can often feel nothing short of a soul-sucking experience.
But that doesn’t mean that your commute — whether it’s 20 minutes or 2 2 hours — can’t be productive. And by productive, no, that actually does not mean checking your work email while you’re waiting for your transfer bus. What I mean is, there are a number of habits you can cultivate that can turn even the worst-case-scenario commute (whether that’s a “signal failure,” “power outage,” or “Sig Alert”) into a positive opportunity to spend some quality time with the one persona you’re probably neglecting most: you.
Dilemma #1: You are literally Sandwiched Between 16 Other Humans
Answer: It’s STILL your time. Yes, it’s extremely important to always use your commute for personal time, and even if you’re packed in like sardines, don’t let the stress rob you of your you time. Take advantage of the extra time and prepare for yourself for the day — any meetings or appointments that you you might have — even if it’s only mentally. If you’ve got your earphones with you, play some relaxing music to help ease you into a more positive frame of mind.
Dilemma #2: Your train is delayed…and you may never see daylight again.
Answer: 2. Learn Something New. And yes, it can be work-oriented, but it will be much more enriching if it’s personal. Why not tackle Shakespeare’s plays, learn Portuguese, or get ahead start on that SQL training you’ve been hmmm’ing about. The point is, time will never not be valuable so stop squandering it just because you’re grumpy.
Dilemma #3: Thanks to someone who just HAD to check his Twitter feed while driving, you are sentenced to life in prison on the freeway.
If, by chance, you work for an establishment that encourages carpooling you’re already ahead of the game here. But if you’re flying solo, instead of angrily switching back and forth on the traffic reports, switch on that audiobook and take your brain someplace nicer.
Moodica is a vacation for your brain, bringing you the most soothing sights and sounds on earth. Watch more oddly satisfying videos on your desktop, Amazon Fire and Apple TV!
