Although remote work has become widely accepted, many employees still commute to the office every day. In fact, according to research, the national average commute time is almost an hour. Even worse, some commutes, especially in metropolitan areas, can take up to two hours. In other words, people spend a lot of time just sitting on their way to and from work.
However, time is money, and every minute you waste in transit instead could be used to work on a task, come up with new ideas, or evolve your business. Unfortunately, with only 24 hours in a day, finding time to do everything can be very stressful.
But your commuting time doesn’t have to be wasted. Whether you take a train, a car, or a bus to your office, there are many ways you can maximise your trips in order to boost productivity.
Check Your Inbox
While emails remain a reliable way to communicate with your business partners, staff, or clients, checking and responding to each one of them is time-consuming. That’s especially the case when your inbox is flooded with all sorts of irrelevant emails, such as ads. But you can use your commute to declutter your inbox and save a lot of time. By doing so, you will free up at least an hour of your time, which you would have wasted filtering through spam just to respond to one of your clients’ emails later in the day.
Listen to a Podcast
The chances are that you like to listen to music on your commute. But what if you replaced it with some motivational or educational podcasts? Listening to podcasts during your commute will increase your productivity and keep you motivated throughout the day. And best of all, you can do that while you are driving to work or taking public transportation.
Read a Good Book
Reading books is a great way to reduce stress as well as learn something new in the process. From motivational autobiographies to science fiction novels, reading can stimulate your mind and improve productivity. It can also help with your writing skills and expand your vocabulary. Therefore, you should carry a book (or e-book) for your next bus ride and perhaps do some light reading. Or, if you are driving to work, you can instead try one of the thousands of audiobooks out there.
Do Some Planning
If you use public transportation to get to work, you can utilise the time to plan out your day. Start by making a to-do list of the tasks you need to accomplish. That way, you can break up significant tasks into manageable objectives. It also helps you prioritise specific assignments and focus your time on completing those first. Just remember to make your daily tasks simple, realistic, and straightforward.
Related content:
9 Tips on Being Efficient and Productive with To-Do Lists Using Personalised Paper
The Bottom Line
While commuting to work can seem like a waste of precious time, it doesn’t have to be. You can use it to get a head start on your daily tasks or simply to relax by reading a book or listening to a podcast. No matter what kind of activity you want to do, remember that the only part of the day when you are truly alone is during the commute. So, make sure to use that time effectively and never let it go to waste.
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If you require further information or have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to give a member of our experienced team a call on 0800 0148 970 or simply email us today.
