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is your commute bearable? - A few tips to make it less stressful
Sorry, the posting has been a little slow this weekend. I am currently at a friend’s beach house hanging out, but it’s unfortunately raining. So naturally as I am sitting here, dreading that the time is going by, knowing that Monday is getting closer by the minute.
But then I started thinking; why am i dreading Monday? As crazy as it may sound, I like where I work, I like the group of people I work with, and I like what I do at work. The thing I dread the most is the commute!
I take the train to work and recently the weather has been extremely hot. I dont know whether this is a direct correlation to the heat, but within the last 3 weeks I have seen 2 people faint inside my subway car. One young man fell right to the floor of the train.
And I think to myself, is it really worth it to rush to work day in and day out, sacraficing your health and comfort, when you can easily try to wake up a few minutes earlier, grab something to eat like a breakfast bar and be on your way(and not feel like fainting.) I know this has nothing to do with personal finance, but I am sure many of our readers commute to work day in and day out, and it can be a very stressful time and causes people to sacrafice themselves just to get to work.
Here are a 3 ways I make my commute a little more bearable.
Give yourself time.
Sometimes this can be hard, because it also coincides with getting a good amount of sleep the previous night. But, if you can try to give yourself time, you won’t add to the stress of work, by running late just trying to get their. Being in a rush adds a stress that is not needed in a busy worker’s life. So try to plan your commute, and be ready for traffic and other occurences that might put you behind schedule. And most of all try not to get stressed out about it.
Listen to music.
When I first started commuting to work, I didnt bring my ipod everyday on the train, and I thought my commute was the worst possible. But, then I started bringin my ipod, and it has really made my commute more enjoyable. By listening to music you are less apt to think about work, and the time seems to go by much faster. This makes my commute much more bearable.
Try not to worry about other commuters and what they are doing.
I used to get so angry when someone would walk slow infront of me, or push just to get on the train. Now I just try to relax and take things at they come and realize that I dont want to be an animal like a good portion of the commuters I encounter. I am not staying to get stepped all over whether you are riding a train or driving, but try not to let the little things other people do bother you too much. You can’t cahnge the way people act. This has also helped me cope with my commute much easier.
Here are a couple of related articles about the dangers and woes of the “Morning Commute”
ABC News: Is your Morning Commute Killing You
ABC News: Commuters Facing Longer, Lonlier Rides
Forbes.com: Ten Steps To A Less Stressful Commute
How do you cope with your commute? Leave a comment. Do you find your commute enjoyable? Or is it the worst part of your day?
Try making your commute as stress free as possible, because after all your not even at work yet! And if you want to solve the commuting problem all together, work on becoming a professional blogger or starting your own business venture online, and you will never have to commute again :-). Wishful thinking huh? Anything’s possible though!
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(On Aug 4th, 2007 at 10:05 pm)
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(On Aug 4th, 2007 at 8:38 am)
Ya’ll don’t have air conditioning on your trains?
Honestly if I could I would take a train or something in to work, it’s less stress from driving and more helpful for the environment.
The alternative of course is for people to go out and get their own business, but it takes discipline and courage.
My New Hustle | Make Money Online
More than a noun, it’s a lifestyle.
(On Aug 4th, 2007 at 12:15 am)
People fainting on the train is terrible. It must have been a horrible experience for you.
(On Aug 4th, 2007 at 10:18 am)
Here in the UK, we have Commute Smart Week starting on Sunday. They have issued some tips for smarter comuting. Here they are:
Work Wise UK and the RAC Foundation have developed ten top tips for commuting smarter:
1. Travel at a different time - while the majority of rush hour commuting happens between 7:30am and 8:30am, peak commuter hours get earlier as the week progresses – we get up earlier but also leave work earlier with the weekend on the horizon.
According to the RAC Foundation, even if just a few motorists can make their journeys out of peak hours, it will make a big difference to congestion. (Source: RAC Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Report May 2007 http://www.racfoundation.org/files/CongestionIndex.pdf)
2. Telecommute - Work from Home: nine million UK households now have broadband, while new mobile systems such as wi-fi make it possible to securely access business networks from almost anywhere. If all commuters could work just one day a week at home, commuter numbers would fall 20 per cent. This would reduce road congestion and public transport over-crowding significantly.
3. Teleconference - Use on-line tools to replace conferences and meetings, to cut back on travel during the business day. Tools include Online Communities of Practice – on-line groups where people exchange ideas and best practice; wikis - collaborative web pages that allow people to brainstorm ideas without meeting face-to face; and video conferencing through affordable web-cams rather than expensive video suites.
4. Take a detour - The RAC Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Index found that using less obvious routes to get from A to B can save commuters hours simply by avoiding congestion on their habitual route. (Source: RAC Foundation/Trafficmaster Congestion Report May 2007 http://www.racfoundation.org/files/CongestionIndex.pdf)
5. Try two wheels instead of four - commuters could shave up to three hours off their weekly commutes by switching from four wheels to two, according to the RAC Foundation’s analysis of government statistics* which shows that in almost every region of the UK, motorcycle and scooter commuters are spending less time travelling to and from work than workers travelling by car, bus or coach, with the biggest savings available in Central London and the East of England. (Source: Labour Force Survey Statistics 2007)
6. Try peddle power instead – millions of people spend hours at the gym either before or after work. Why not combine exercise with commuting? Not only will it make you fitter, it could save you money both in travelling and gym subscriptions. The average commute is 8.7miles – most people could cycle this distance in less than half an hour.
7. Make sure your car is up to the job – Next week will see millions of people travelling home from work in the dark for the first time in seven months and many of them will be ill prepared. While huge investment in research and development by lighting manufacturers means that lights on modern vehicles are more effective and efficient than ever, they are useless if drivers don’t use them, check them and maintain them. In 2005, over one million cars failed the annual MoT test because of lighting defects. Source: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2006edition/sectionninevehicles
8. Get physical - instead of gnashing teeth at the red light, take the opportunity to do a few stretches or a shoulder-shake to get rid of tension and aggression.
9. Do random acts of kindness - drop the “thousand yard stare” and let someone out in front of you. Doing good for others creates an enormous sense of wellbeing and reduces commuting stress.
10. Give someone a lift – overcome “NIMFS” (Not in My Front Seat) and share the journey to work with a friend. Having someone to vent the stress of the day’s work on means less road rage, while car-sharing cuts congestion.