Whether you used to commute to a coworking space in London or work from a high rise in Hong Kong, in recent months, the workforce of the world has had to adjust to major changes in their lives.
It is pretty safe to say that all many lives have changed forever. However, the day will eventually come when we are all back to commuting into our offices and exposed to the drear of our daily commute, which at the moment seems like a distant memory.
When the time comes, how can you go about making the commute less of a chore and more of a jumpstart to your day? Stop scrolling endlessly through Instagram and put the unavoidable extra time to good use.
Provided you don’t drive to work, take the time to make a to-do list, including your top 5 priorities for the day. Ensure that the objectives are realistic and achievable. On your homebound commute, take another look at the list and assess what on it you managed to do and what you didn’t. If you didn’t complete it, take a minute or two to think about what you can do differently tomorrow to get it done.
Take a quiet moment to yourself to relax your mind. Again, provided you are not driving, there are a number of apps available offering mediation sessions to help you with your focus and lots of these can be practised on a train or bus. Just a few moments every day can help to improve your concentration and even your memory.
Think about how you get to work and if this can be changed. If you usually drive, is there a public transport option? If you take the bus, is there a train you can try getting? Whilst it doesn’t have to be a permanent change, a slight variation in your routine can help you to stay more alert. If you don’t have a choice of transport, think about getting off at the stop before you need and walking the rest of the way, to get in a little bit of exercise and some fresh air.
Don’t just throw on headphones, blast the top 40 and close your eyes until your journey is over. If this is how you like to travel, think about downloading some audiobooks to listen to a chapter or a thought-provoking podcast to put your time to better use. Your state of mind will thank you once your journey is over.