5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Daily Commute

If you’re like most other people who commute to and from work every day, the time you spend commuting in traffic is likely the worst part of your day. While your dreaded commute might be an unavoidable chore, you shouldn’t resign yourself to spending it in misery. Don’t let your daily commute be a draining waste of time that depresses you and saps your energy before your day even really begins. If you maximize your commuting time the right way, the things you can learn, enjoy, and accomplish on your way to and from work every day can actually boost your mood, energize you, and change your life for the better.

Add Value to Your Commuting Time

One of the most frustrating things about a daily commute is the feeling that the time you spend commuting adds absolutely zero value to your life. Unless your commute is particularly lengthy, you’re probably not getting paid or are getting paid very little for the time you spend commuting. Most people while away their commute doing nothing but staring at the traffic in front of them and end up getting to work/returning home feeling like they just threw an hour or two of their life into the trash. The value of your commute doesn’t have to be financial. Even if you’re not getting paid for your commuting time, you can add value to it in other ways. Add intellectual value to your commute by listening to a podcast that teaches you about something new or helps you learn a new skill or language. Make it socially valuable by calling a friend or relative to chat while you drive if you commute by car, or strike up a friendly conversation with a stranger if you’re using public transportation. Boost your own mood and add emotional value to your commuting time by doing something that makes you feel happy—like listening to a cheerful playlist or a just-for-fun audiobook— that you might feel guilty indulging in at home where you feel like you should be doing something more productive. Adding value to your commute in some way helps you shake off the miserable feeling that you’re wasting hours of your life every single day.

Get Out of the Car

More than 75% of commuters drive to and from work alone in their car. Despite the fact that the vast majority of commuters choose this mode of transportation, driving by yourself is by far the worst way to commute. Using public transportation (like a bus or train), riding your bike, or carpooling are three alternative options that can help you make the most of your commute. Commuting via public transportation eliminates the stress of driving, and gives you the freedom to focus your attention on something other than the road—like reading, writing, or even getting work done. Even better, try riding your bike to and from work. Your commuting time will double as exercise time, and getting your body moving will naturally boost your mood and energize you for the day ahead. Plus, biking to and from work also helps you significantly reduce your carbon footprint. If you absolutely can’t avoid commuting by car, at least make an effort to carpool to and from work instead of driving by yourself. Not only does carpooling with a friend or coworker add social value to your commute, it also slashes your driving time in half and gives you a chance to relax as a passenger sometimes instead of shouldering 100% of the driving responsibilities.

Prepare for Your Day

Avoid feeling like you’re wasting time on your commute by using your commuting time to prepare for the day ahead of you. Set yourself up for a productive day by thinking about what you want to accomplish that day and making a realistic to-do list—either on paper or in your head—of essential tasks to prioritize. If you’re not driving, knock a time-draining daily task out of the way before you even start your workday by catching up on emails while you commute. This way, you’ll feel motivated and ready to start getting real work done as soon as you arrive.

Be Present

Experts claim that one of the most effective ways to boost your happiness and increase your life satisfaction is to practice the art of living in the present at all times. Staying focused on the present is a lot more challenging than it seems. Humans naturally tend to dwell on the past and the future, which can sap joy away from the present.
Your daily commute offers you a stretch of time that is virtually distraction-free to practice living in the moment. If you’re driving, you obviously need to pay attention to the road, but you can still practice being present. Focus on relaxing, measuring your breathing, using all of your senses to observe what’s going on around you, and avoiding thoughts about the past or the future. If you can master living in the moment during your commute, it will be much easier for you to stay focused on the present in the rest of your life as well.

Put Yourself in the Right Mood

Use your commute to and from work to put yourself in the right mood for the rest of your day. Arriving at work feeling drained makes productivity very challenging. On your way to work, wake up and energize yourself by listening to lively, upbeat music or a funny podcast. When you’re headed home after work, you might be feeling weighed down by the stress of your workday. Avoid taking that stress home with you by engaging in a calm activity—like reading/listening to a book or listening to a relaxing playlist—to alleviate stress and start winding down for the day.