Making the most of your commute

Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work, or study, and in doing so exceed the boundary of their residential community.

Research studies have shown recently that we commute further distances today than 10 years ago. A combination of longer commutes and rising transport costs has meant that just getting to work can put a real strain on household finances.

A study in 2015 demonstrated the daily commute uses up more than 18 months of your life, with an average of 13,870 hours spent getting to and from work A study in 2001 asked people what their ideal commute time was and the commonest response was 20 minutes. Interestingly, some respondents preferred a longer commute. Often the length of the commute is not the challenge but if it is broken into several parts. There are other factors that make a commute more comfortable such as being able to sit down, plug your computer in, and avoid times of overcrowding

Longer commutes have been linked to higher waistlines and increased risk of relationship breakdown.

Making the most of the time can benefit your wellbeing and help you potentially in work. For most of us, there is little we can do to shorten commute times apart.

How do you make the best of your commute time?

·     Start the day with some goals. This can be a useful time to consider priorities and get off to the day without procrastination. Write your to-do list.

·     If you are on a train or bus- can you use your computer and clear your Inbox

·     Consider it as a time of personal growth-be good to yourself and use this time wisely. If you add up the time you travel per week, you could learn a new language(https://www.busuu.com/;  or https://www.duolingo.com/ ).

·     Consider if you can change how you commute to fit in some exercise into your day. Could you cycle or walk? Is it possible to get off one stop on the bus, train or underground before you need to and walk part of the way once a week for example?

·     Could you extend your commute a little so you are not as rushed? This sounds counterintuitive but it means you are more in control of your situation. You have time to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee, or to buy a paper.

·     Could you join a carpool? Sharing the journey with someone else can reduce your costs and be a good way to socialise and connect with others

·     Could you complete a course of education e.g. https://www.khanacademy.org/  or which are free.

·     If you are on a train or bus you could watch a Ted talk (https://www.ted.com/) or listen to a podcast e.g. This American Life, Stuff You Should Know.  (https://www.wired.co.uk/article/best-podcasts)

·     Is there the potential for you to do flexible working hours one or more days per week? Can you ask your line manager? This may, of course, be dependent on the sort of job you do.

·     Learn and practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques- use this time to look out of the window or do meditation. You could put headphones on if you are on a bus, train or underground to do this. This can be a useful evening activity on your way home.

·     Read a book- on your phone, tablet, or a traditional paper book- take this opportunity to read for 15-20 minutes every day. You can also listen on Audible if you prefer to do so.

·     Get your social media fix completed.

·     Plan your meals

·     Check your budget  and complete tasks relating to your expense

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