It has been reported by The Guardian that commuting is ‘more stressful for women than men’ because mothers find it harder to commute due to their commitments at home. Regardless of the findings, commuting is a stressful period for most workers and time spent sat on public transport often feels wasted. However, there are ways to make the most of this time. SimplyHired.co.uk has picked some of these great options below to make practical use of your commute:
- Read the news – It is always important to know what is happening in the world and specifically your industry. Knowledge of the news can be a great conversation starter once you arrive at work.
- Read a book – Reading in general is a great way to spend your commute, but if possible why not read something relevant to your work? This will allow you to learn experts’ opinions on your industry.
- Network – If you’re on public transport in the morning, it is more than likely that everyone else around you is also commuting into work. If you’re in a chatty mood, use this opportunity to network. Start up a conversation with your neighbour and forge new relationships.
- Learn a new skill – Sitting on a train is a great time to learn a new skill such as a new language. There are many CDs or apps that can help teach you a language in small sections whilst on your commute. This will be fun, help you when you take holidays, and enhance your career prospects in the future.
- Write a to do list – If you share in the feeling that your commute is a waste of time, get a head start on your day by writing your to do list. It will allow you to begin the day quickly and prioritise your tasks effectively once you arrive at the office.
- Read emails – If you have no signal, you can still read emails that you received the night before. This means you won’t need to spend time playing catch up when you get to your desk.
- Write draft emails – Again, signal may prevent you from sending emails, but you can certainly draft your responses. If you have your responses to go once you regain signal, you will have ticked off something from your daily to do list.
- Write a shopping list – This may seem like a mundane task however, if you plan your meals for the week, you will save time and money in the supermarket.
If you can make your commute practical, you will soon begin to feel that you are gaining time instead of losing it.
Point to note: these tips are for those commuting on public transport; these tips are not feasible whilst driving!
