Calling all commuters! If you’re spending more than an hour each day getting to and from the office – we feel you. And it sucksss.
The office commute can be exhausting, boring, and just a real waste of time.
To make things better: a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showed that people with longer commutes turns out to have higher blood pressure, bigger waistlines, and were overall less fit than those who worked closer to home…uhhh yikes!
There’s no doubt that commuting can put a strain on your overall well-being. But if you’re at a point in your life where commuting really is your only option, then you might as well *try* to make the most of it.
So if you’re on that plane, train, and automobile grind – keep reading to find out how you can conquer the daily office commute.
1. Make it ME time
Time to change the mindset. As frustrating as commuting is, make this your ME time in the mornings to gear up, or, in the evenings to wind down.
Commuting is actually a great opportunity for you to spend some time on, well…you! Reflect, think, plan out some goals, and focus on yourself.
It’s a perfect time for self-development and learning as well. Read a book, do some research, or if you’re driving – load up a podcast or audio book and give it a listen.
If you’re a music lover, discover some new beats and get that energy going. There’s nothing quiteee like taking a chapter out of Marky Mark’s book for some good vibrations on your commute.
Whatever you choose to do, find a way to do what you love and what makes you happiest. This is your ME time – take advantage of it and cherish it!
2. Get ahead on your to-do list
We’ve all got those errands and tasks on our to-do lists that we just can’t seem to find time in the day for.
Maybe it’s booking a reservation for an upcoming dinner, making an appointment with the doctor that you have SO been slacking on, or just catching up on some emails.
Rather than falling asleep on the train / subway; check your emails, get virtual errands done, and make it a productive commute.
You’ve only got 24 hours in a day, might as well spend these hours eatin’ the frog.
3. Take care of your mental well-being
If you’re like the most of us, commuting can give you majorrr anxiety. Between train delays, highway traffic, and bus cancellations – you’re blood pressure’s raisin’ the roof Mon-Fri.
Ironically enough, there’s no better time to beat those stress levels than on your commute.
First things first, BREATHE. We’re all guilty of neglecting our mental health, simply because we don’t have time.
Well, you, my commuter friend, have the perfect opportunity to now do so. Sometimes you just need to carve out time to meditate, breathe, and relax.
There are plenty of mental health apps on the App Store or Google Play that’ll help guide you, or if you prefer unplugging, check out some books by the O.G. of meditation, Deepak Chopra.
And contrary to Kanye’s request, we will let you get in your zone… till you’re definitely in your zone.
Keep calm and commute on!
