By Kristen Garafano An unbearable commute to work can make even the best job feel like the absolute worst. Whether you travel by car, train, or bus, you’re bound to encounter a rough commute at some point. Rush hour traffic or delayed public transportation can cause even the calmest person to lose their cool. Crazy drivers can induce road rage (not recommended) and other peoples’ antics on public transportation will make you wonder how someone can be so oblivious to their surroundings. And while you may find it difficult to tune out other people or focus your attention on anything but the endless line of cars ahead while driving, you shouldn’t let those things ruin your day. Here’s how to turn a frustrating commute into one that’s a little more tolerable.
Make plenty of playlists. Music can definitely have a positive effect on your mood, so it’s a good idea to make playlists of your favorite tunes. Spend some time and put together playlists for different moods, different times of year, or different genres that interest you. Having a pre-selected set of songs to listen to will lessen the aggravation when a song you just heard on one station plays again on a different one. And while singing on the bus may be frowned upon, there’s no harm in envisioning that you’re in Beyonce’s latest music video on your walk home.
Listen up—to books. If you get sick of listening to guitar riffs and catchy melodies, you can always switch things up and tune into an audio book or podcast instead. There’s an endless variety of these on every topic imaginable out there—and all you have to do is sit back and listen. Even though it might be just as easy to open up an actual book and flip through the pages, it wouldn’t be so bad every once in a while to lean back, shut your tired eyes for a bit, and let the book “speak” to you.
Scrap your stress. If you’re going to be behind the wheel, you may not want to completely zen out, but meditation is a great way to reduce stress and set you up for the rest of your day. This might be difficult if you’re new to it and crammed onto a packed train during rush hour, but instead of focusing on how sweaty the person next to you is, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and let go. (Of course, make sure you’re still listening for when your train stop is announced.) In the car, you can still stop the anxiety and stress you might feel while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic by relaxing your tense muscles, doing some simple stretches, and reminding yourself to breathe.
Envision your day. Rather than ruminating on the negative things around you, use the time you have during your commute to your advantage. On the way in to work, make a list of tasks you need to accomplish for the day or the week. Write them down in a journal, type them into your phone, tell Siri, or simply just repeat them over and over in your head. Thinking about the day ahead rather than focusing on the worries or frustrations you have will not only prepare you for the day, but also boost your mood.
Connect with a convo. It can be difficult to keep in touch with friends and family members with all of the tasks that keep you busy during the day. A good way to pass the time during your commute is to simply start a conversation with an old friend and catch up on each other’s daily happenings. Call your grandma, your dad, a sibling, or a friend you haven’t seen in a while and see how they’re doing. You may prefer sending texts and Snapchats over giving someone a ring, but sometimes it’s nicer to actually hear someone’s voice. And who knows, maybe your friend is stuck in the same scenario as you are, miles away. Not a bad way to brighten someone else’s day (and your own).
Kristen Garafano is an editor and blogger from NJ who has interned at Seventeen and written for Elite Daily. In her spare time, she loves to hike, do yoga, and hang out with her 2 cats. Check out her blog Kristence for more career, beauty, and lifestyle articles and follow her on Instagram.
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