Make Your Commute Work for You
Making Your Commute Work for You
It’s 4:58 p.m., two minutes away from the daily rush out the office begins. You know, the last two minutes where you are praying that someone does not ask you to do one more thing, ping you over IM, or ask you a question as your packing up your bag at the end of the day. For some reason in Atlanta traffic, if you leave five minutes after 5 p.m., it seems to add another 15-30 minutes to your commute.
As a mom, every minute counts. The late charge for scooping up your kid adds up quickly. If you aren’t worried about that, then it is the shame you feel for being the last parent to pick up your kid from daycare or aftercare. You’re anxious over the possible disproving looks from the teachers, or the soft question form your little one – Mommy, why are you late, and what’s for dinner by the way?
It seems like the rush is nonstop as a boss mommy, or just a boss woman altogether. I feel like I spend my whole life in traffic. I commute for about two hours a day coming and going from the good ole suburbs to the city and back. It can be really exhausting at times, and take the wind out of you.
Over the past year, I’ve been focusing a lot on self-care. As a part of that I’ve been aiming to carve out more time to fill my spirit and time to think. In this fast pace world, there’s so little time to sit with your thoughts and think. Because I’m stuck in the car for about two hours out of my day, how can I began to capitalize on that alone time and make the most of it? Here are some life hacks that I’ve been leveraging to make the most of my commute:
Catch up with friends & family: When I finally get home, a lot of time the last thing I want to do is get on the phone and chat it up with anyone. I use my car time to try to catch up with family and friends and to connect. Sometime text messages have exceeded their purpose, and a good ole conversation is due.
Listen to a podcast: I’m so late to the game on podcast. I thought they were just news shows for old people. Sorry! ☺ When I discovered Oprah Super Soul Sunday had been made into a podcast, I was overjoyed. I began to listen consistently, and it began to set a positive tone for my day. I felt my mood changing. Instead of being stressed out about traffic, I am getting filled with the Lady O good vibes.
Listen to audiobooks: This is a new one for me. Over the holiday, one of my teammates gifted me Michelle Obama’s Becoming on audio. At Misspacklight’s Fall Roundtable, one of the life hacks shared was listening to audiobooks as a way to keep up with your reading while on the go. So far, I’m enjoying Becoming and making the most of my time in the car at the same time.
Turn off the audio: Sometimes you just need to unplug completely. I set my phone to do not disturb while driving so I won’t receive any distracting text messages. Sometimes, I just turn off my iTunes, Pandora, and radio. I sit in the car in silence. I can finally process and think through things. During these times, I even start noticing things on the road I didn’t before. I’ve become more aware of my surroundings and living in the present.
~Candii Woodson
Founder, Misspacklight
What are some ways you make the most of your commute? Share with us.
