(Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash)
According to statistics, more than 1.4 million people in New Zealand regularly commute to work by car. Travel times vary depending on the region, with Auckland having the longest average time at five hours per day. That soon adds up to a lot of hours per week, month and year that you’re spending driving. Thankfully there are ways you can pass the time, and if you travel by public transport, you have even more options available so you can be productive while also commuting. Here are some of the best ways to spend your long commute to work to help you relax, learn new things and pass the time.
Listening to Music or Podcasts
Perhaps the most popular way to spend a commute, especially if you’re driving, is to listen to music or the latest podcast. The possibilities are endless when it comes to music, with a huge range of popular artists to choose from, as well as music created over the years. Whether you like classical, rock, rap or anything else, music can be calming, help us focus and make a commute more enjoyable.
If you don’t have a reliable internet connection or you’re worried about using up your data, you can download music directly to MacBook or any other device and listen offline. It’s possible to do the same with podcasts too, so you can take all your favourite audio media with you on the go. You can use services such as Pulltube Folx, and Downie to easily download and edit audio files, giving you full control of your music, audiobook and podcast libraries. Simply download it to your device and play it anytime you like.
Podcasts have become hugely popular over the last decade or so, offering a way to listen to conversations about all manner of different topics. There’s a podcast for just about any subject you can think of. If you have a new hobby or interest you’d like to explore, listening to podcasts on it is a great way to learn.
Plan Out Your Day
There’s nothing worse than getting into work and realising you’re already behind. Playing catchup and having a lot to get through is a surefire way to being stressed out and uncomfortable throughout the whole work day. However, if you’re commuting to work, you can make use of that time you spend driving to the office.
Planning out your day during your commute is a great exercise and will help you focus on what needs to be done and the order in which you should do it. Think about how you left things the day before, and try to organise your tasks in your mind. This is easier said than done, but with practice, it gets a lot easier.
When leaving the office, you can also have a debrief during your drive home. While it’s nice to zone out and not think of work once you leave the building, this will help you prepare for tomorrow’s shift. Go over all the tasks you completed and think about what else needs to be done. Try to prioritise things to help you during tomorrow’s planning session.
Meditate or Read
You won’t be able to do these if you’re driving or cycling to work. However, public transport opens up possibilities for what you can do during your commute. Unless you have to make a lot of stops or transport changes. You shouldn’t have to focus too much and can concentrate on something else instead.
Meditation is a great way to relax your mind and prepare for the upcoming work day. It can be hard to do on busy public transport, but it’s easier if you have noise-cancelling headphones or a lot of practice drowning out background noise. Focus on your breathing and clear your mind. You should find your feelings of stress, worry and anxiety fading away.
Reading is great too, and just like podcasts, there’s a book for everything. Whether you prefer reading self-help books or fiction or learning about the history of New Zealand, your commute can be a wonderful experience thanks to books.