The average drive-time to work across the country is approximately 25 minutes. That equals more than 100 hours a year, longer than the amount of vacation time you probably get. We’ve already shared tips on how to make your driving commute productive.
Now we want to help you shake things up. Break the monotony of your drive to and from work by trying one or several of the following tips:
CHANGE YOUR ROUTE
Several years at the same job can mean repeating the same commute thousands of times. Even the most interesting drive will become boring. Why not try to get to and from work with a completely new route? Whether it’s a change to side roads or highways, a new path will help you: shake up you boring routine; be more alert; you will notice new and interesting things such as restaurants and/or landmarks. Heck, you might even find that you’ve been taking the long way home for years. Explore Google maps and give this a try several times a month.
CHANGE YOUR VEHICLE
Not everyone will have this option. However, if you’re part of a multi-vehicle family, switch things up for a day. A new driving experience can lead to more than just struggling to figure out how to adjust the sear. Getting behind the wheel of a car that you don’t own will deliver an experience that you are not accustomed to. This alone can spice things up, at least for the day.
CHANGE YOUR MUSIC
There’s an endless amount of audio out there, yet so many of us continually turn to what we know. Rather than listen to the same old stuff (in my case 90s alternative rock), broaden your horizons with something completely different. Get acquainted with the classics; judge for yourself if Elvis is really The King; see if rap has any redeeming qualities; flip on that Spanish station; The possibilities are endless. For a change of pace you also might want to try an audio book, language CD or a podcast. Start here.
RECITE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
Believe it or not it’s fairly easy (with regular practice) to reprogram your thinking. Part of the process is to end negative internal dialogue and replace the bad stuff with positive thoughts. The beauty of being in the car alone is that you can talk out loud without looking like a freak of nature. (You can’t, however, pick your nose. We ALL see you.) Come up with several simple statements that will improve who you are and empower your career. A few that I use are:
"I can handle anything."
"I’m good at what I do."
"I look like Pitt and sing like Bono."
After a while, you really start to believe the hype (except for #3). There are some great Websites that can help you with positive affirmations that we will profile on episode #77 of the Working Podcast. Subscribe now.
CALMING TECHNIQUE
There are even some stress-relieving exercises that you can conduct from behind the wheel. One such method is Tense/Release. Start with your toes. Tense them as tight as you can for three seconds – then suddenly release. Spend about five to six seconds acknowledging how much more relaxed your toes feel when you untense them. Work your way up your body. Calves, thighs, abs, etc. End with your face. Raise your eyebrows. Tense/Release. By the time you arrive home your body will be nice and relaxed – just in time for your family to stress you out.
SHUT YOUR CELL PHONE
Hopefully you’re not one of those people yammering away on your phone without handsfree as you indecisively pass through a yellow light. I won’t bore you with the grisly details that prove this is a dangerous practice, rather, I encourage you to try your driving commute for a week without using your phone. The car is a great place to either mentally prepare for work on the way in or to decompress on the way home. They’ll be plenty of time to chat later on. For now, just drive and enjoy the open road. If you get snagged in traffic, reflect in the day’s events and plan how you’ll make tomorrow even better.
SHORT-TERM DISTRACTIONS
There are little things you can do to temporarily shake things up. Get a new flavor air freshener; borrow someone’s GPS; record audio "to-do" lists on your phone; play traffic bingo, etc.
So what are you waiting for? Many of these ideas can be employed on tonight’s ride home. Break up the monotony of the commute! Let us know how it goes.
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