The average commute takes 59 minutes with workers travelling for longer than ever. Instead of viewing that hour a day as wasted time, why not make the most of this ‘free' time? Whether you're travelling across Central London or to your nearest CPD, we've got some simple things you can do to ensure you have a productive day.
Meditate
Meditating is something that's become more ‘mainstream' in recent years. Thanks to apps like Headspace and Calm more of us than ever are turning up and tuning in. From guided meditations to relaxing nature-sounds, taking just 10 minutes a day to meditate will help set you up for a day at work, or help you send you off into a deep slumber.
So why not use your commute to get more zen and start reaping the benefits in your day to day life.
Side hustle
If you currently have a hobby that you want one day to make into your main day job, then spend your commute doing market research, create growth plans and financial forecasts. Maybe even start writing the content for your landing pages or draft ideas for your social media platforms.
Learn a language
The British are notoriously bad at learning a foreign language, but there are plenty of languages that are pretty easy to pick up with dedication and practise – any excuse for a holiday. Whether you drive to work or take public transport, you can plug-in and spend that time learning a language. There's no shortage of language-learning audiobooks as well as podcasts to help with your learning.
Read or listen to books
Making the most of your commute doesn’t have to mean ‘bettering yourself', if you want to read the latest thriller or maybe an autobiography is more your thing, then go for it. It's important to take time for you – and not to feel guilty about it.
If you're one of the 68% who drive to work, you can still enjoy your favourite stories thanks to audiobooks.
Prepare for meetings
If you’re not driving or riding a bike, your morning commute is a great time to get a head start on your workday. Attending to messages early in the morning will set you up for a productive day. However, it's important that you don't spend your entire commute doing work. But by spending 10 to 20 minutes of your commute prepping, it has the psychological benefit of setting you up for the day.
Create a to-do list
Your commute is the perfect time to create a to-do list or fine-tune the one you’ve already made. By creating a to-do list you're prioritising the day's responsibilities, and this will help you stay organised and gives you focus for the rest of the workday.
If you're finding that your to-do list is feeling overwhelming, you can set up columns including urgent tasks and ones that can be put off to a later date. And where possible do the urgent ones first. And don’t forget to put a line through or tick every task you complete.
If you can't actually write a list because you're driving, it can still be useful just to have a mental checklist. You might also consider using a voice recorder or memo app on your phone, just as long as it doesn't require you to look away from the road.
