10 Productive Things To Do On Your Commute
With the lockdown restrictions easing up in all parts of the world, commuting is going to become a regular part of our lives again. We’ll be spending anywhere in between a couple of minutes to multiple hours on commutes every day. And if we add these up over weeks, months, and years, it looks like we might be wasting a lot of usable hours that we can rather spend being productive. Commuting can be a good time to unwind and relax and also plan out things that are important to you
Also check out 9 Productive Things To Do On Your Phone Instead Of Social Media
. Keeping that in mind let us look at some productive things you can do on your commute.
1) Listen to a podcast/audiobook
If you would like to keep your hands free and mind occupied while commuting, podcasts and audiobooks would be a great option for you.
Over the last few years, the podcast industry has been booming. Platforms like Spotify and Buzzsprout have made podcasts a mainstream entertainment choice. Based on your interests you will find various options. It is a good way to learn more about things you are interested in from experts in those fields.
Some of the popular apps out there to stream podcasts are –
Sometimes it is pretty inconvenient to hold a book while commuting. But books are still a great way to learn more while on the go. So the best possible solution is audiobooks. Similar to podcasts, audiobooks have also become mainstream over the last few years. It combines the benefits of reading with the convenience of audio devices giving you the perfect way to spend your commute time.
The most popular platforms to listen to audiobooks are:
2) Visualizing your day
Simply sitting and letting your mind wander, maybe while looking around or out of the window is a good way to unwind during a commute. You can add a bit of productive touch to it by visualizing your day while doing that. You can go through everything you have planned for the day, or even plan out your day in that moment.
This helps you to prepare yourself for upcoming challenges you are expecting and also identify new ones that you might have missed out on. It will also help you manage your time and plan when to take breaks as well.
3) Meditation
The benefits of meditation are no secrets. It not only improves our mental health by reducing stress and anxiety but also helps the overall body by reducing blood pressure and chances of heart disease. These are some facts we are all aware of, but many people still dont put an effort into making meditation a regular habit.
Your commute time might be the perfect start. The best way to begin is to start slow and be consistent. There are various apps in the market that can guide you through meditation routines, even in between the hustle and bustle of your commute. These can be 5 min breathing exercises or a longer deep dive depending on how much time you have.
4) Reflect on yourself
Commutes usually tend to be the time we spend alone with our thoughts. This can be a good thing or bad based on the state of your mind. A positive way to approach this can be by reflecting on yourself.
Try to identify the problems, understand the reasons, and think of possible solutions. We are not trying to just delve into the problems and get lost in the overthinking. We are looking to come out with effective solutions that we can start working on immediately.
This will help you find those tiny details you have been missing out on, that can make a big difference in the long run.
5) Power nap
If you have the comfort, convenience, and confidence of not missing your stop, a short power nap can be a good idea. Lack of sleep can have serious effects on health and also your daily productivity. Hence a power nap will help you solve that and also make you more energetic, motivated and help you reduce screen time (rest for your eyes).
Sleeping while commuting is not everyone’s cup of tea though. It doesn’t always provide the right posture to sleep, there might be a lot of disturbance around and there’s always the fear of missing your destination. If that’s the case you can try not some of the other suggestions mentioned above.
Activities to work on and plan out.
6) Make/Analyze your day’s schedule
A great way to make sure that your day is going according to the plan is by making and following a pre-planned schedule. Having a visual presentation of what your day looks like will help you be better prepared for it. You will be able to manage your time better as well, which will help you be productive on daily basis and over the longer run.
So starting your day by making a schedule or going through it during your commutes is a great idea.
You can use google calendar or other apps specialized for this purpose:
7) Check up on your investments/budgets
Commutes can be a great time to check up on your financial health. With a few apps on your phone, you can see your overview of your budget, expenses, and investments. With everyone always focused on making more money, we often tend to forget to care about the money we already have. Our commutes time can help us with that.
There are multiple apps for this purpose, mostly which are free with additional paid features as well. Having a budget and a pictorial representation of your expenses will help you put things into perspective. The additional paid features can make the process easier by connecting your bank accounts directly. But, as a beginner the free features are plenty.
Some of the popular apps to manage your finances are –
- Wallet
- Money Manager
- Monefy
- YNAB (You Need A Budget)
8) Get updated with current news
Reading newspapers while commuting is probably one of the oldest human traditions. Over time we might have substituted newspaper for other mediums, but it is still one of the most common and productive things you can do while commuting.
Most famous news outlets have apps or web-based platforms now. Based on the kind of news and the format you prefer you can choose among various available app options or email newsletters.
I usually use Inshorts for this purpose, which covers all the important news around the world in less than 60 words. I’m also subscribed to an email newsletter by Morning brew. They send a daily newsletter highlighting stories about US finance and economics in simple words.
9) Work on your side hustle
In today’s financial environment, more and more people are working towards generating multiple sources of income. They are opting to set up certain side businesses such as e-commerce stores, dropshipping, blogging, etc to generate a certain amount of passive income along with their primary salary.
The problem arises with allocating enough time for your side hustle to yield results. Hence your commute time can be useful to check up and work on that. It will be tough to get major work done, but every small effort will count at the end of the day.
10) Learn a new skill
Now, what can be more productive than building a new skill? Commuting on a daily basis gives you enough to develop a new skill over time.
This can be learning a new language, coding, marketing, business analytics, and many more. There are platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare which help you to learn new skills in video formats in a short duration of time.
Conclusion.
Commuting is a time when we can’t help but feel in a hurry and in a rush to get to our destination, but there are productive things we can do to make this time count for something. These ideas can be used by students, professionals, and everyone else in between. Over time these small productive activities will yield substantial results. So it’s important to start and stay consistent.
We hope you enjoyed our blog and feel empowered to make the most of your time spent commuting.
