Commuting can be extremely stressful and frustrating experience. Although commuting may be boring or tiresome, there are many things you can do to avoid the chore and keep yourself active, entertained and productive. People usually spend hours in cars, trains, subways or buses, so it’s useful to know a few tips for making commuting easier.
1. Take classes
Nowadays education on the move is becoming extremely popular. Take an online class from a world-class professor. Nowadays the Internet provides a big collection of online college classes and recorded lectures. You can make your commuting more productive if you develop yourself with help of free online classes. If you are a driver, then download audio lectures for free. It is easy to find the necessary info, because many websites offer a lot of classes and lectures.
2. Learn a foreign language
One of the best ways to make your commuting more useful is to try something new and interesting. Keep your mind engaged and get the knowledge by learning a new language. The average American spends about 100 minutes per day commuting to and from work or college. That’s why you have 433 hours to improve your foreign language skills. Nowadays many audio language programs require audible repetition that is very convenient for drivers. There is also a great variety of free apps, which can be downloaded from the Internet.
More: 7 Tips for Improving Your Foreign Language Skills
3. Listen to music
Music is a wonderful thing that can help make your commuting more enjoyable and pleasant. You can listen to your favorite music or radio programs, but be careful with heavy metal music if you don’t want to be stressed and irritated. It is proved that classical music has positive and favorable influence on human physical and emotional well-being. It reduces blood pressure and stabilizes heart rate. When driving alone, you can even sing a song.
4. Read or listen to books
Have you ever read books when commuting? Drivers usually listen to downloaded audio books, while non-drivers have an opportunity to use an actual book or e-reader. You may be plunged in a story and forget about traffic jam at all. There are many libraries, which let you borrow audio books for free. Moreover, you can download free WMA and MP3 files from different websites.
5. Relax
Commuting is a perfect time to close your eyes and give rest to the body. It requires a serious concentration on relaxation techniques. Focus on your neck, face and shoulders muscles and relax. It is important to breathe in and out smoothly. You can also visualize your day’s work and prepare your mind for the day.
More: 10 Best Ways to Relax after a Long Day
6. Rehearse
From time to time, you can be responsible for certain projects. If you have to make a proper presentation or a talk with the boss, you need to prepare a carefully worded speech. Try to rehearse it several times. Commuting is the best time for this. Use this time to recollect ideas and thoughts in your mind.
7. Check your inboxes
If you are a driver, you should forget about checking your inboxes, because it is extremely dangerous. But if you ride, you can catch up on texts and emails. Moreover, you can communicate with your friends, using social media sites. Plus, you may respond to emails and organize your inbox. If possible, you can make or answer calls. Nowadays the Internet provides people with an infinite amount of social media facilities.
Follow the aforementioned tips and make your commuting more positive and useful. My coworker learned two foreign languages while commuting, so if you need to learn something, you know when you can do it. How do you make your commuting easier? Share your tips with us, please.
