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For numerous individuals, the concept of a "ideal" trip to work might sound ridiculous. If traveling to an office, it typically involves either dealing with rush-hour buses and trains or nerve-wracking road congestion. One may not imagine that either of those scenarios provides much scope for happiness, but there are strategies we can use to make them less burdensome, useful and more beneficial. It's worth putting some thought into this, as traveling to work can heighten stress, lower ability for physical activity and encourage the intake of additional calories.

Performing a Commute Audit

One-time legal professional who became a productivity consultant recommends starting with a travel assessment to determine its true toll. "Begin by blocking it out on a calendar. Making a graphic outline of how much commuting takes out of your day provides an realistic picture. It’s not just about how much free time you have at the end, it’s about understanding how commuting impacts other activities in your life."

If you’re trapped on a bus, rather than mindlessly browsing, you could employ those minutes to brainstorm a chosen idea.

The point is not to enter a vortex of negativity but to get creative about how to optimize your free time. One method is to build routine pairing into your travel time to get other things done. Because going to work is something that you already do every day, piggybacking another activity to the habit makes it more likely that it will occur. That might mean incorporating physical activity into your route by cycling, or strolling some of the way, or jogging home. But it might also mean picking up a language, focusing inward, handling administrative tasks or connecting with friends. The typical commute is around just under thirty minutes, rising to extended times in densely populated urban centers. That adds up to about a substantial chunk a week that people who commute have to themselves.

Harnessing Dedicated Periods

Coaches suggest that the daily commute has the obvious benefit of offering a regular, scheduled window to concentrate on an project. This references the idea of deep work, which proposes using blocks of time to concentrate intensely on one subject. "So if you’re seated on a bus, rather than scrolling, you could employ that period to ideate a specific idea, whether for work or a personal project," suggests a consultant. "One factor ideas often come to us in the during mundane tasks is because we’re so infrequently undisturbed and calm so ideas don’t have the chances to emerge."

This indeed appears attractive. What if, instead of feeling frustrated as I begin a arduous journey, I could reframe it as two daily focused thinking periods? Indeed, I know this is possible. I have a friend who wrote a book on his daily train ride and another who uses the time to work on her new business idea.

Maintaining Positivity When Facing Frustrations

But how do we keep positivity when experiencing transport delays, or not getting a seat and being stuck trapped in a packed space? The remedy, according to a happiness consultant, lies in the concept of acceptance. "Much of life’s emotional friction arises when what we desire life to be is not aligned with reality. If we can narrow that divide, we are going to reduce a lot of unnecessary frustration. Ask yourself: ‘What is under my influence? Have I tried to affect that? What is not up to me? What stories am I creating?’" Eliminating exaggerated language is one of his strategies. Is the journey really a horror show or is it just a bit annoying? "Focus on facts, not emotion," he says. "This train is running 15 minutes late. Is there anything I can do about that? No. OK. In which case, relax and appreciate the extra free time. You were thinking of listening to a podcast? Well, now it’s going to be a podcast and a half."

Creating Routines for the Evening Commute

For the trip back, it can be beneficial to develop routines that tell to your brain that you are transitioning out of work mode. "One great option is listening to entertaining audio novels," notes a coach. "Whatever that will take us out of job-related thinking – a humorous show, listening to a playlist – will do the trick. Or you could use the time to send an urgent email so you don’t need to do it later. A lot of people really struggle with the boundaries between work and home."

The Challenge of the Faux Commute

Which brings us to the challenge facing many people who work from home or do a mix of home and office work. Should we create a artificial commute to ease the transition? For some, when working from home, the day is bookended with short strolls. It is suggested that even if you don’t have a dog, it’s a good idea to get outside or at least get active. "If you don’t, that residual sluggishness is going to linger as you go into your day's tasks. Movement is a great way to lessen worry and pressure. Even something as simple as doing some stretches for a few minutes can regulate the nervous system."

So simply getting out of bed a short time before the first Zoom session isn't to be encouraged? "If you don’t establish a gap between starting the day and work, what is your day going to be like? If you took the time, the influence that work has on you would be reduced by the end of the day, because proportionally less of your conscious time would be consumed by it," an advisor notes.

However, everyone who is remote needs a artificial commute. Some people truly have really great limits between home and work. "It's easier if you have a separate workspace so you can open and close the door to signify the beginning and end of work. But I know someone who has a special pair of work slippers to get into and out of work mode. For them, that’s enough of a ritual."