How to make your commute time the most productive time of your day

Sydney siders love to drive, we spend over 2 years of our life, not getting paid, stuck in traffic, commuting to work. And as a result we are stuck. Stuck for hours in traffic shuffling between radio stations, stuck people watching on buses hanging on for dear life and stuck on trains over hearing conversations between people who don’t understand the concept of inside voices.

We’ve all been there at least once and for some of us thats our daily struggle. Here’s our golden tips in making this time the most productive time of your day.

Listen to a Podcast 

Challenge your mind and fill your ears with intelligent conversation, enlightening debates and comedic talent all within the power of a podcast. Listen to some of the most influential people in the world talk to you as if you were with them, having a normal conversation- unedited, unpolished and unfiltered. We spend thousands of dollars and waste numerous hours trying to stay awake in classrooms when instead we could be listening to experts in their field teach us without us having to do really nothing.

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur we recommend listening to Ted Talks which cover a range of topics and allow you to learn the lessons from people who have already suffered the consequences of their failures. For any sport lover The Grill Team Sydney is where you can get your daily dose of everything sport. If you love pop culture and can’t live without knowing what your favourite celebrities are up to then Call Your Girlfriend will be able to give your daily scoop while also offering friendship, work and dating advice which we could all use a little more of. And if you are an unapologetic lover of debates, then you will become obsessed with The Joe Rogan Experience. Joe Rogan brings his comedic spark coupled with an impressing palette of special guests to bring hour long chats about; sport, money, politics and just about everything in between!

Whatever your interest may be we guarantee that you will be able to find something which intrigues you. Pro Tip: Remember to pre download your podcasts so you don’t drain your data.

Listen to an Audiobook

Similar to listening to a podcast, audiobooks are becoming the newest way to be entertained by your favourite authors and your favourite novels. Gone are the days of having to spend hours awake at night, wanting to eagerly finish a riveting story but not having the time (or the motivation) to just keep reading. With services such as Audible.com and Overdrive, you are going to start wanting your commute time to be longer! Read the new instalment in the Harry Potter franchise or familiarise yourself further with your favourite role models and icons by reading their autobiographies without having to make more time in your day in order to do so. We loved, Amy Schumer’s, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo or Amy Poehler’s New York Times Number One best seller, Yes Please. 

Do your Work

You’ve just spent nine hours in the office and the last thing you want to do is go home and have a look at the same thing again, so why not get it done and dusted during your commute? By the time you get home you’re more than likely going to procrastinate and go straight for that bottle of wine anyway. By doing your work on the way home you can have more time (and less excuses) to start your afternoon exercise regime or catch up with some friends. Trust us, your future self will thank you for making this one a habit!

 

Put your phone on Aeroplane Mode

Dr. David Agus, bestselling author of The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health, stresses the importance of having downtime and how having periods without thinking about work or studies will actually enhance your brain activity. Turn your phone on aeroplane mode and listen to your favourite jams because playing music, any kind of music, can cause mood elevation and exert emotions of happiness. Plus who needs another reason to listen to Queen B telling you that your flawless or saying hello to Adele. Even better however would be to turn your phone off and interact with those around you. Studies show that social interactions keep the brain healthy as you are developing your cognitive skills such as memory or attention skills which are often needed in most work or business environments. So get talking (or networking) to those around you, you never know who you might meet-  could be a future employer, a new best friend or someone even a little more special.