Commuting to a job is often associated with stress and wasted time, many of us spend hundreds of hours getting to our job and the impact on your mental health and wallet can be dire.
However, there are many benefits linked to commuting. From reading to mediating, you’ll be surprised of what 30 minutes in a train could offer you. We have put together five benefits of commuting to and from work that you may want to try next time you commute.
- Read a book
If you have a busy family life, it may be impossible for you to find the time to read a book, quietly, without any interruptions. However, if you take the train to go to work every morning, you have plenty of time to get started of the book you’ve been wanting to read for so long. In fact, according to BBC Capital someone who spends around six hours commuting each week could read (or listen to) a 100,000 word book in that time. And if you don’t feel like carrying a book with you, you could decide to read an e-book on a tablet or even your phone.
- Learn a new language
Nowadays, you can learn a language just about anywhere and at any time thanks to apps such as Duolingo or Babble, all you need is smartphone and a few minutes of spare time. Your commute could be the perfect time to start learning a language. For example, imagine you’re in a train, in England, from Moorgate to Hertford North, ready for your daily commute, why not spare some time for a few minutes on a learning app? According to research, learning a language has been shown to add between 10–15% to your wage so it’s definitely worth having a go.
- Meditate
If you work in a stressful environment, you could use your daily commute as a way to relax and meditate. In fact, meditation has been proven to improved creativity and focus in the workplace but also in your daily life. Just 10 minutes could do the trick and completely transform your day, there are many apps out there such as Calm that can help you meditate if you’re feeling a bit lost. Especially great if you suffer from anxiety or sleep issues. You may end up falling asleep which is sometimes just what you need!
- Get a head start
You could also utilise that morning and evening commute to do some work and reply to emails so you’re ready to start working as soon as you’re in the office. You could also prepare a to-do list and set your goals; you may find it easier to get a good day at work that way. You could also use that time to really think of your long-term goals and what you want to achieve in the long run.
All in all, you need to see your commute as an important part of your daily routine and make the most of it otherwise you may end up burning out.
