Mornings are usually tough and the journey to work doesn’t always help—sitting in traffic or standing on a crowded train isn’t exactly fun! But what if you could turn that time into something enjoyable or even productive? With a few simple changes, your daily commute could become one of the best parts of your day and here are thirteen ways to make your morning commute more enjoyable. You might even make your commute something to look forward to!
Featured Image Credit: AllaSerebrina /Depositphotos.com.
Practice Mindful Driving
You may want to use your commute as an opportunity to practice mindfulness, where you focus on the present moment—the feel of the steering wheel & the sounds around you, for example. Pay attention to the sights along your route, too, because these details will make you more aware and reduce stress. Soon enough, routine driving becomes a calming experience that helps you arrive at work feeling more relaxed.
Follow a Serial Audio Story Exclusive to Your Commute
Find an interesting audiobook or podcast series and make it a rule to only listen to it during your morning commute because it’ll give you something to look forward to each day. It’ll turn your commute into a special storytime, which makes the journey more exciting and gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. You’ll be desperate to find out what happens next in the story!
Plan Your Dream Vacation
During your commute time, think about a vacation you’d love to take and consider the destinations, activities & people you’d like to go with. Imagining the details—like exploring a new city or relaxing on a beach—will make you feel better about your day. It’ll also motivate you to work harder and make it happen someday!
Discover Hidden Gems on a New Route
If you’re tired of the same old streets & scenery, try changing things by taking a different route to work—maybe there’s a side street you’ve never explored or a highway that takes a bit longer but gives you better views. You could stumble upon a nice café where you might grab a great cup of coffee or a peaceful park perfect for a quick walk! Either way, altering your route will turn your commute into an adventure.
Create a Personal Audio Diary
You could use your commute time to record your thoughts with a voice memo app on your phone, where you talk about how you’re feeling & think of some ideas for projects. It’s essentially a way of keeping a journal—but in spoken form, giving you the chance to organize your thoughts before the day starts. You might want to listen back and see how your ideas have evolved later on!
Turn Your Commute into a Photography Project
Why not make your commute more interesting by taking photos along the way? Of course, this only works for people on public transport, but you could use your smartphone to take pictures of anything that catches your eye to create a collection of images that tell the story of your daily journey. Whether you choose to share these photos on social media or just keep them for yourself, you’ll make your commute feel more purposeful.
Learn Something New with Micro-Lessons
Try using your commute to pick up a new skill—whether you’re interested in learning a new language or practicing coding, there are plenty of options available! Even if you’re driving, you could listen to a YouTube video that’ll give you bite-sized lessons that fit perfectly into your commuting time. It’ll make your trip more enjoyable & also help you invest in yourself, which is a great way to start the day.
Join a Language Exchange
Similarly, you could also use apps that connect you with native speakers who are learning your language while you learn theirs. During your commute, you could chat & send voice messages or even have a real-time conversation if it’s appropriate. Such interactive learning makes the time fly by and helps you practice with a real person—you could make a new friend from another part of the world.
Play a Mobile Scavenger Hunt
Make your commute more fun by turning it into a scavenger hunt—before you leave, create a list of random things to look out for, like a person walking a dog or a red bicycle. Then, check them off your list as you find them and just watch as the time flies past! You might even notice things you’ve never seen before, which will make your journey far more interesting.
Indulge in a Gourmet Drink
Upgrade your usual morning drink by treating yourself to something special, like getting a fancy latte or a smoothie instead of a regular coffee. Sipping on a delicious drink during your commute will make the experience more enjoyable and give you something to look forward to each morning. Such a small luxury will brighten your day in ways that you’ll really enjoy.
Enjoy a Special Breakfast On-the-Go
Likewise, you could also treat yourself by preparing a delicious breakfast to enjoy during your commute rather than rushing through coffee & toast at home. Pack something you really like, whether that’s a yogurt parfait or a breakfast burrito, to give yourself a chance to savor a tasty meal on the way. It’ll make the experience feel more luxurious & give you a great start to your day!
Create Themed Music Playlists for Each Day
Don’t forget about the power of music—making music playlists with different themes for each day of the week is a lot of fun! For example, maybe Mondays are for motivational songs to kickstart your week, Wednesdays feature calming tunes to get you through the midweek slump and Fridays center around upbeat tracks to celebrate the upcoming weekend. Planning these playlists is rather enjoyable and listening to them is even more fun.
Challenge Yourself with Daily Trivia Games
Keep your brain sharp by playing trivia games during your commute, such as daily quizzes on a variety of topics or word games that get your brain working. You could play against yourself or others for a little more competition—you may want to start a friendly tournament with coworkers to see who can get the highest scores. Best of all, you’ll turn that ‘dead time’ into time where you’re learning new facts and exercising your intellect.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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