Many of us think of the work commute as a mundane but necessary part of our lives. Whether you are driving, taking the train, or walking to the office, it is rarely a time of the day when we have a smile on our face. The average person spends between an hour and an hour and a half every day traveling to and from work, and throughout your life, this adds up to a lot of time. This is a time that doesn’t have to be boring and can actually be the most fun or productive part of your day. By changing your mode of transportation or using your commute time to learn something new, there are so many opportunities to improve your commute.
This article is a guide to 4 ways to make your commute more exciting.
- Ride an Electric Bike
Most people either drive, cycle, walk or take a bus or train to go to work, but recently there have been more and more workers who have been riding an electric bike for their morning commute. The experts from Electric-Biking.com explain that not only is riding an electric bike far better for the environment than driving a car or taking the bus, but it is also much easier than riding a traditional bike. There are so many different models of electric bikes with varying top speeds, charge capabilities, and suspension and handling specifications.
One useful feature to look out for when choosing an electric bike is folding capability so that when you arrive at work, you can easily fold it up and take it into the office with you. Theft of electric bikes has been on the rise in recent years so being able to easily take it inside and store it safely in the staff room or next to your desk is ideal. Electric bikes have top speeds of around 15-30kmh, so if you live within a few miles of your office, or if you live and work in a busy city, it is an ideal way to make your commute easier and more exciting.
- Learn a New Language
Many of us spend our commute sitting on the train either playing with our phones or reading the newspaper, but why not take that time to learn something new? The average London commuter spends almost two hours traveling to and from work, and for a working week this adds up to ten hours! It takes just one hour a day for a year to reach 30% proficiency in a new language. By spending your time learning from one of the many available language apps that you can download directly to your smartphone. One of the most popular language-learning apps that have emerged in recent years is Duolingo which now has over 300 million users and 38 languages to choose with.
- Do a Crossword
Crosswords are a great way to spend some time, test your mental skills, and improve your vocabulary. These days there are excellent crossword websites online and you can choose one based on the level of difficulty that you enjoy. Especially on the morning commute, when many of us are still trying to wake up, a crossword is a great way to get the mental juices flowing and set you up for the day. There are many newspapers with crosswords and the broadsheets in particular have particularly tricky ones that can really challenge you. Try to finish a difficult cryptic crossword per day and it can make your morning commute a lot more interesting.
- Catch Up on Your Reading
With our busy lives, it can be hard to find the time to do the things we love, but your morning commute can provide you with the free time you need to catch up on your reading. Studies have found that the most successful people read at least one book a week and whether you enjoy novels, self-help books, or nonfiction biographies about influential people, an hour commute on the bus to and from work each day is a great opportunity to get some reading done. The best way to read these days is to invest in Kindle or other e-readers because you will have millions of books available.
Commuting to work can be very mundane, but there are some great ways to make it better. Whether you switch your transport method up to something more exciting or use the time to learn something new or read a great book, making the most of your commute can have some serious benefits. Try out some of the suggestions in this article to transform your commuting experience.