Do you often feel like the time you spend commuting is just ‘dead time’? Research suggests that most workers spend, on average, an hour commuting to work and back each day. That’s a lot of time to spend just sat looking out of the train window or getting frustrated at your fellow drivers. The key to a happier travel time is to repurpose your commute.
This will look different for everyone, depending on your preferred method of travel and the length of your journey time. However, whether you commute by bicycle, foot, car, train, bus or even plane, we promise that there’s a fun activity you could be doing whilst you travel. You could even learn something. All you will need is a smart phone and an internet connection, and away you go!
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Read a Bestseller
Getting lost in a good book is a commuting classic for making the time pass more quickly and the journey seem shorter. However, for many people, reading on the move is simply not an option. Drivers, cyclists and walkers cannot read whilst travelling for safety reasons, and some bus and train passengers become travel sick if they’re concentrating on a page. This is where the audiobook comes in. Services like Audible and Scribd allow you to listen to a vast selection of titles, both old and new, whilst you journey along. They provide the perfect opportunity to zip through that award-winner everyone’s talking about, or even get stuck into a fascinating non-fiction book. Give it a try for a week and you’ll soon be hooked.
Gain Gaming Skills
For those who prefer a more active approach to their commuting activity, mobile gaming has suddenly become more accessible than ever before. If the last time you played a game on the go was with a GameBoy Colour or travel chess board, then you’re in for a treat. Nowadays, there is everything on offer through app stores and mobile gaming sites, ranging from FPS titles to arcade games to casino classics. The iGaming industry has experienced something of a boom lately, leading to a wide variety of online casino bonuses available to both newcomers and loyal patrons. Sites like VegasSlotsOnline can help you to cut through the noise and find the very best options out there, providing you with all the information you need so that you can simply sit back and enjoy sharpening your skills.
Connect with Community
Not much beats direct connection with other like-minded people. In a world where more of us are working remotely or living far away from friends, social media can provide a lifeline to ensure that we all stay feeling connected. Dedicating your commute to catching up with friends and online groups can be a great way to start your day with a positive boost, meaning that you’ll arrive at your workplace smiling. Apps such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok all have well-established and far-reaching communities which you can explore at the touch of a button. Pursue your personal interests and find accounts where you can connect with other people who share your love of knitted animals or vintage clothing and see if you can strike up some lasting friendships through the screen.
Plan Your Day
Perhaps you’re one of those people who likes to get their head in gear and start work as early as humanly possible so that you can have an ultra-productive day. If so, then there are plenty of planning and organising apps out there for you to play around with on your journey into the office. Favourites like Todoist, Mindly and Trello offer innovative solutions to a packed calendar and help you to keep all of your tasks and to-do lists in one place. If you’re already a fan of bullet journaling and planners, then this could be the next step into having the super organised life that you’ve always dreamed of. Just remember not to get so involved in the finetuning that you miss your stop!
Learn Something New
If your day job involves a lot of physical labour or customer service, then you may be looking for something to stimulate your mind during your commuting ‘down time’. It can be incredibly beneficial to make sure your brain is firing on all cylinders before work and using a learning app during your commute is one way of doing this. No matter your subject of interest, there will be something out there for you to enjoy. For example, apps like Duolingo and Rosetta Stone can teach you language basics in no time at all, and the regular daily practice will have you conversing confidently in Spanish or French within weeks. There are also specialised apps to teach you sign language, whether you want to learn ASL, BSL or another variation.
