Enjoy that Commute

Do you have to spend long hours everyday commuting to work? Do you feel bad about this precious time that you spend everyday going to office and coming back? Does this leave you with no spare time to pursue your other interests such as reading, music, or a hobby? Do you get a feeling that you are always in a rush and have no time left for yourself?

If the answer is yes, then you are not alone. It is a common situation most of us face. I myself have had at least 45 minutes commute time throughout my work career. I worked very hard on trying to find a way to reduce the boredom associated with my daily struggle with traffic jams. I also wanted more time for myself to pursue my interests.

One obvious solution was to move closer to my office to reduce the commute time. This would make it less boring and also will free up time for other activities. However, it was not always possible to do it. I had to decide to live at a long distance from office due to a number of compelling reasons like child's school, my own house, etc. So, I had to look for other solutions.

I found that the solution was implicit in the problem, only if I could use the commute time for the activities for which I had no time, it will resolve both the issues. Here is the system that I evolved over time to make my commute time not only less boring, but an enjoyable experience. Now I no longer dread the commute time, but look forward to it. I hope you will find some of these practices useful.

A. I found the following  interesting activities to keep myself engaged while traveling in a public transport:

• I learned to catch some sleep while traveling. This helped me utilize the commute time so that I was fresh on arrival. This involved developing a skill to sleep in sitting position, which may be difficult at first, I got the hang of it with some practice. The secret is to close your eyes and roll up your eyeballs to "look" upwards. This can put you to sleep within minutes.
• I took a book, magazine or newspaper along and used the commute time for reading. This gives me time to catch up on my reading. 
• I enjoy solving puzzles such as Crossword, Codeword or Sudoku, so I used use my travel time to solve a puzzle. It kept me engrossed and exercised my mind.
• I learned to practice meditation and relaxation while traveling. It also helped reduce the physical and mental stress.
• Even when I had nothing else to do, I used it as an opportunity to be all by myself. I used this time for connecting to my inner self, thinking about and clarifying my mission, goals, and values.

B. I tried out the following activities to keep myself engaged while driving alone to work:

• Like everyone else I listened to music on radio and CD for keeping myself entertained and relaxed.
• I used the time for learning, by taking my iPod along and listen to audio books, and podcasts. I had audio CD from several training programs that I was keen to go through, but had no time for it. The driving time was perfect for this.
• As a singer, I need to spend time regularly listening and singing songs, to learn a song, or to practice singing along, or to review my recorded performances to find areas of improvements. This could be easily done while driving. 
• Occasionally, I use this time for phone calls as well.
• I use the commute time for prayer. I find it more comfortable to do it without any feeling of hurry or time pressure.