How I improved my daily commutes
Everyday commutes can be a real hassle. Whether stuck in a traffic jams, squeezed in an overcrowded train or running after the bus, we have all experienced something similar during our home to office journeys.
When I started my career in the USA, I had to commute for about 2 hours a day, using my bike, the metro and the train. It wasn’t easy to get used to the long commute at first but after a couple of months, I adjusted myself to the experience and I really started making the most of it.
There is no doubt that we all have our own tricks and habits to make our commutes less tedious, but are we truly making the most of them? I also wondered the same and I tried to optimize my commuting time by going beyond the usual Netflix watching, social media scrolling and cell phone playing.
Here are my 5 suggestions to help improve your daily commutes.
- Set the day’s goals
When commuting for an hour or more in the morning, you have plenty of time to schedule your day ahead of time. I constantly go through my most important emails of the days and set myself daily work-related objectives to achieve. By developing this habit, I was able to start working from the moment I arrived at the office, and the end, it helped me save so much time and become more productive.
2. Learn a new language
Another way to make the most of your commutes is to learn a new language. It may seem to be a strange place to do so, but after have having tried this for few months on my train ride home, I’ve come to realize this is a very fun way to optimize your commute. Especially nowadays, considering how practical apps such as TinyCards or Duolingo, and other language learning podcasts have become. It also turned out to be very handy when going to Mexico for my most recent holidays, qué padre, ¿no?
3. Read a book
This one seems basic and all too obvious, but believe me, when commuting, I’ve realized how most people have become obsessed with their phone throughout their whole commute.I was no different in the beginning, until I decided to change and read a book instead. I’ve stopped wasting so much time on social media. Now, I can walk to my office, so I don’t have that time to read and I really miss it. Grab a book, read it and change these habits!
4. Meet new people
Everyday when commuting, you are surrounded by so many people doing the same thing as you, whether they are going to the same direction as you or not. So why not try to make some friends and broaden your circle? I had the chance to meet new people in my train commute and even ended up goingout with them to grab some beers after work. Take off your headphones and talk with the person next to you ;)
And if you happen not to like trains or buses, there is a simpler way to meet new people and commute It’s easy and it’s with Zify!
5. Write a journal
It might seem weird, but isn’t it the best way to keep track of your memories month after month? I decided to write 5–6 lines about my day everyday and I really don’t regret it. Sometimes, when I look at how my life was months ago, I realize I was stressing out for nothing too important. It helps me focus and keep it cool.
