Quit Stressing Your Commute: Simple Tips to Make Your Drive Easier

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There are few things more frustrating and draining than a long commute. Whether it’s the drive in and you know you’re preceding your workday with an hour or more of morning traffic or you just completed your shift and want to be home only to face a long drive first, it’s enough to drive you crazy. The problem is only compounded when your car is uncomfortable and you have nothing to pass the time.

If you have a long drive to and from work then what you need is a reliable car for long commutes. When coupled with the right entertainment or mental activities you can take your long, boring commute and make it fly by.

Make a Call

Although driving with a phone up is illegal in most states, and should be avoided even when it isn’t, hands-free technology gets increasingly widespread with every passing year. If you have the ability to sync your phone up to your car and use it hands-free then your commute is a great time to make some calls. Whether you get some extra work done to allow you to spend less time at the office, or call up a friend or loved one to help you pass the time, taking advantage of the downtime of your drive to make calls allows the time to feel like less of a waste.

Find Your Peace

When your commute involves rush hour traffic it is easy to get stressed out and angry. One of the best ways to combat this is to practice meditation or other mindfulness techniques while in traffic. These peaceful activities help you to lower your stress levels and resist the urge to get irritated by the difficulties of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Get Connected

Just like hooking your phone up to your car to make calls helps to pass the time on your long commute, so too does hooking up your other apps as well. Automatic text responses, voice texting and text-to-speech allow you to reach out via text and carry out conversations with people who prefer typing to talking. You can also use music streaming to play all your favorite songs to make the drive just a bit more enjoyable.

Music isn’t your only audio option with a connected phone, either. Try listening to audio books and podcasts for a change of pace while still getting the entertainment you need to pass the time.

Flex Your Creative Muscles

While a long drive carries no shortage of frustrations it also presents you with an opportunity. Instead of relying on some of the above activities to pass the time, look inward and spend time thinking about creative projects you care about. Whether you’re into writing, music, game design or any other creative field, your time behind the wheel is a great time to let your mind work. Often having something else to occupy the front of your mind, like navigating in traffic, allows your creative side to surprise you with great ideas.

Count on Comfort

Finding ways to pass the time on a long commute is important but even the best methods will fall short when you can’t get comfortable. If you know you have a long commute you should opt for a car which prioritizes comfort the next time you are shopping. If you already have your car you can purchase comfort aids like additional padding or massage beads to make your time behind the wheel more relaxing.

Shy of relocating you can’t turn your long commute into a short one. With these simple commuting tips, however, you can ensure that the time you spend in the car is as enjoyable as possible.