Lengthy Commutes

Informing commuters of strategies to make the ride to work better

When traveling to work takes between one to two hours, commuting can be very difficult and tiring, and can also impede on a person’s work performance if they are not committed to a very strict schedule. The most important thing to acknowledge is preparation. Anticipating circumstances and staying prepared with the basics is essential to maintaining a healthy and thriving lifestyle.
There are ways to make the work-week easier for those who commute five days a week. If you follow these simple rules, your responsibilities will become easier to manage and you can prevent any tip in the scales.

Take your shower at night
Showering in the morning can be very time consuming, and it also demands a lot of your attention. By taking a shower at night, you are relieving yourself from drying your hair in the morning. Ladies, blow-dry or towel your hair in the evening, so that you only have to worry about styling it when you wake up. This rule will save you a great deal of time in the morning.

Go to bed early
It seems so simple to say you are going to go to bed early, but sometimes we end up getting distracted and staying up past our bed time. Doing this can have a negative effect on your work performance the next day, and make your eyes feel heavy. If you force yourself to go to bed early, your time during the day will be more rewarding. Commuting requires a wake-up call of around 5:45 am, so treat yourself to the luxury of sleep.

Eat a big and healthy breakfast
Eating first thing in the morning can be difficult sometimes because a lot of people do not feel hungry when they first wake up. If you force yourself to eat, you will be doing your body a great service. Allowing your body the chance to burn calories throughout the entire morning will speed up your metabolism, and make your commute more enjoyable because you will feel nice and full. Eating a big breakfast helps you to stave off the hunger, because you feel full longer.

Leave extra early to avoid large volumes of traffic
Sometimes leaving an hour earlier than you need to can significantly reduce your travel time. Even if doing this means compromising sleep, spending less time behind the wheel is ideal.  Traveling can take up a lot of energy, and reduce your energy level by the time you begin work.

Anticipate staying late on campus or at work

If you’d rather battle traffic in the morning, aim to evade it in the evenings! If you finish class or work at 5, there is no point in going to your car and facing gruelling traffic for two hours. Instead, use the extra time to get homework done so that you can relax when you get home. If you’re at work, catch up on emails and get a head start on the next day’s tasks. Your travel time will be cut in half, leaving you with a less tiring commute home. Not to mention, your boss might be impressed at your staying-power and dedication!

Investigate all possible routes for your commute
Sometimes when we are focused on getting to work, we just think to use the hi-ways and major roads that we are most familiar with. These major routes are often filled with large volumes of traffic, and a lot of the time are very slow, because these are the roads that are most used. Sometimes there are better ways to get to your desired destination that are less-used and less known. Take the time to look at maps online, and determine if you can get to your place of work via any other streets. Sometimes one-lane roads are faster, even if you have to stop here and there at a red light.

Always bring sunglasses
When it’s still dark outside and you are cursing the early hours you maintain, the sun isn’t typically on your mind. It can be easy to forget your sunglasses in the wee hours of the morning. Soon enough, it becomes bright and then you wish you hadn’t left them at home. It can be dangerous driving in the morning hours without sunglasses, and annoying for those who have to walk or use public transport with the sun beating down on your face.

Pump up the jams
Traveling for hours can be very boring, so make sure you bring your favourite tunes to bump along to on the way. This will speed up your perception of travel time and also make you feel like you’re having a little party by yourself. Risk factor? Being annoyed when you have a song stuck in your head for hours afterwards.

Have a coffee or an energy drink before you head home
The end of a work day can be tiring as it is, but piling a two-hour commute on top of that can be scary and extremely draining. Make sure that you drink a coffee or an energy drink before you start your journey home, because when your car is stopped in traffic and your eyes are heavy, it can be easy to slip into an unsafe state of drowsiness.
Have a safe and enjoyable commute and always remember that preparation is the key to a responsible lifestyle!