Commute to Work – How to be Productive on the Road

Bybygracev

This blog post gives the best tips on making a commute to work go by quick and actually feel productive.

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Commutes come with any job, except if you are fully remote. If you are fully remote, respectively, you can leave now!

Just kidding! If you commute 5 days a week, 1 day a week, travel for work, or just need additional productive ways to spend time, this is the exact blog post for you.

My qualifications to speak on this topic: I spent 5 days week, an hour each way, in the car commuting to my job. That is how much time I had to spend in the car on my most recent job, which equals about 10 hours of travel.

It can be so depressing when you spend majority of your time in a car alone. You feel like you are not productive, wasting time, and brain rotting for the entire ride home.

In reality, this is the exact time that you should be using to take a mental break, get your life together, catch up with society, or phone a friend/family member.

Take the opportunity to use the “glass half full” method and enjoy the time by yourself to do whatever you need to do to feel productive (or relaxed).

These productive ideas will bring life back into your long commute from work.

7 Productive Ways to Make the Commute to Work go by Quick

1. Listen to a Podcast

Podcasts are one of the best ways to kill time on a long commute and distract your mind from the craziness of work. There are quick 20 minute episodes and there are others that exceed an hour depending on the podcast.

Your favorite social media influences most likely have a podcast these days so check into them for additional content to listen to on your commute.

There is a podcast for anyone. There are self help, pop culture, lifestyle, and finance podcasters that truly go in detail on their niche.

Girls in their 20s Spotify Podcast Recommendations:

  • Gals on the Go
  • Cheers
  • Giggly Squad

2. Play an Audiobook

Are you a reader or maybe a wanna be reader? An audiobook is a great place to start.

Spicy romance? Thriller? Audiobooks have as many options as paperbacks, except these are cheaper and are saving the planet.

Try an audiobook on Amazon’s free trial or do the $10 kindle unlimited to download the audible versions of your favorite books.

If you go to the office 3-5 days a week, you will most likely finish a full book in a single week.

Favorite Books:

It Ends with Us

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

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The Housemaid

purchase on amazon

3. Phone a Friend or Family Member

If your commute is more than 20 minutes, this is the perfect opportunity to call a family or friend that you have not talked to in a while.

TIP – Send a text that morning to ensure they are free for a catch up call in the early evening.

It can be difficult to plan girls night or dinner with your parents when you work in office and have a long commute to and from work. Calling and catching up on the phone is your 2nd best bet.

It is so important to have social time outside of work (and not talk about work!!).

So give someone a call to distract yourself from the commute and your long day at work.

4. Build a Mental To Do List

Maybe you only have a 10-20 minute commute or it is a Friday, no traffic day on your commute. This is a great time for you prep for the week or coming weekend.

Home projects, date night, family birthday’s? Mentally take a note of what your week/weekend might look like and you will feel so much better when you get home.

Relieve your work day’s anxiety by preparing for anything that is yet to come.

5. Embrace Quiet Time

Ever need just 30 minutes to not speak to anyone or figure out anyone’s problems?

Yep. That is the story of a corporate girl’s life.

Don’t ever feel guilty for needing a car ride home to mentally take a break from life. This is normal and deserved in the craziness of corporate America.

6. New Music Playlist

Need a good pump up playlist before work? A calm wake up vibe playlist? Or a sing loud in the car kind of playlist? All of these exist in the explore sections on Spotify and Apple Music platforms.

New music is always mixed into the pre-made playlists to expand your collections. Since they are pre-made, they usually are already a couples hours long. You also won’t feel guilty for skipping a song or fear of running through the entire playlist and it starting from the beginning.

7. Plan your Evening Routine

Save time now and plan out your after work routine.

Are you going to the gym? Workout class? Walk outside?

Are you going to cook dinner? What are you making for dinner?

What productive chore are you going to do around the house this evening?

Plan out your evening so you can give yourself back time to relax after your long day in the office. You feel so much better when you walk into the house and you know your game plan.

This blog post shared exactly how to survive your commute to work.

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