The quality of your journey into work can have a big impact on how the rest of your day turns out, and your overall experience of the job itself. For many of us, the daily commute is a necessary evil, to be endured through gritted teeth. However, by making a few small changes, it may be possible to significantly improve the experience. We’ve listed below some of the ways in which you can make your commute more bearable:
Give yourself enough time – There’s nothing worse than arriving to work late and already stressed out because you ended up missing the bus or train. Whilst it can be tempting to press the snooze button just one more time, those blissful extra minutes of sleep are soon forgotten if you end up having to dash to make it in on time as a result. Giving yourself an adequate amount of time for your journey into work means that any delays that might occur won’t automatically mean a late arrival. You might even have a few spare moments to rouse yourself with a coffee before arriving at the office.
Consider your route – How many changes does your current route into work involve? Is it busy? What’s the view out the window like? Most commuters seek the quickest route into work each day, but it can be worthwhile assessing whether there are any alternatives. Though it may seem counterintuitive, choosing a slightly longer route may add time to your journey, but may also compensate for this by offering a less busy (opening up the possibility of the commuting holy grail – a seat!), more reliable and generally nicer experience.
Cycling / walking – When it comes to commuting there’s nothing worse than having to rely on an unreliable bus or train route to get into work. There are only so many times the average person can stand idly in the freezing rain, staring expectantly at the spot down the road where their bus was due to appear 20 minutes previously before descending into madness. Modern public transport networks are remarkable things, but unfortunately far from infallible.
If the distance between your home and workplace isn’t too large, then cycling or even walking to work could be a more healthy, relaxing and reliable form of transport. Free from the plague of signal failures, roadworks, overcrowding and the wrong type of snow on the track, the self-sufficient commuter can be sure of arriving at work at the same time each morning. As well as the boost this guarantee of punctuality can offer to your mental wellbeing, the health benefits offered by a regular dose of exercise each day have been recognised by a number of organisations. This includes the government, which encourages workers to don their helmets through its Cycle to Work tax incentive scheme.
Flexible working – For some lucky employees, the terms of their contract provide the option of starting and ending work slightly earlier or later than their nominal hours. One of the main advantages this offers is the ability to avoid the worst of the rush hour, a perk that can make a big difference to the quality of a journey into work. Setting off half an hour later than usual can result in a quieter, more reliable commute...plus an extra 30 minutes of sleep! If this option isn’t currently available to you, it may be worth discussing the idea with your boss or investigating employers that do offer a flexible working policy.
Going against the flow – If your current commute involves a daily scramble for a handful of seats on the bus or train into town, you might want to consider looking into similar positions at companies that are based outside the city centre. With the majority of workplaces still concentrated in central business districts, a journey that takes you out of town in the morning sidesteps the crush of inbound traffic. There’s a certain amount of smug satisfaction to be gleaned from observing the daily struggle for space on the morning train into town – from your seat on the service heading in the opposite direction.
Fed up of your commute? Start your search for a more conveniently-situated job on SimplyHired.co.uk!
