Commuting time is YOUR time – use it wisely

Believe it or not, one of my favourite parts of work is commuting – even though I’m on my way to work, I treat it as ‘my time’, and I refuse to waste it doing work-related activity.

Making the most of commuting

Here are some ways you can use your commuting time:

1. Read. It’s easy to read on public transport (don’t try it in the car), so find something educational, motivating or inspiring. Reading non-fiction in the morning will get your brain going for the day – fiction will help you unwind on the trip home.
2. Write. Write some poetry, a letter or a story – this might be the opportunity to start on that novel you’ve always wanted to write.
3. Learn. I’m learning French on the train – and I’ve found if you practice out loud, you’re guaranteed to get a seat by yourself! Just kidding – I’m doing exercises in the lesson book. If you’re commuting by car then language CD’s are great – you can practice pronunciation too.
4. Listen. Audiobooks are ideal for the car and good on public transport when it’s crowded or you’re too tired to read. You can get them from iTunes, Amazon, Audible and many other places. Some MP3 players let you speed up the playback of Audiobooks which makes them even faster to devour.
5. Communicate. Contact people you want to keep in touch with. In the car, you can make calls using your mobile on hands-free. On the train, you can email or SMS.

Commuting activities to avoid!

1. Playing games on your phone or a game device. These are just time burners, and the last thing you need is less time.
2. Newspapers. Most news is not news – it is irrelevant information that is designed to trigger your fear emotion. You can get up to date on relevant news in a few minutes on the ‘Net now, so use the time more constructively.
3. Work. A lot of people catch up on work while commuting – your personal time is valuable and this amounts to giving it away for nothing.

Restore balance to your life by using your commute time for personal pursuits – you’ll feel like you’re stepping off the treadmill and getting your life back.