We discussed the 11 reasons why how absolutely depressing and soul crushing long office commutes can be.
And sometimes you don’t have always the option of opting out of it. However what you can definitely do is make it interesting, productive and maybe err, fun. And the best part, a long commute is great for things you usually don’t have the time or focus for when you have the option of moving away. Here are some ideas on how to make your office commute more productive and fun.
How to make your office commute more productive and fun
Movie on the move
If you, like me travel for 3 hours in a cab every day on average, you know over the years, I’ve watched all my favourite shows and movies while literally on the move. While the world may be collapsing around me, I’m happily hooded over on my laptop, more interested in what Don Draper is up to. Just make sure your laptop is fully charged before you get into the vehicle, have a pair of good headphones on and be ready to get into your private world of good looking actors, gripping stories and a whole new world in the middle of your own.
Read
Sorry folks who drive to work, this one’s for rather privileged ones who are driven to work. While you usually can’t find it in you to sit in one place and read for long, a long commute ensures that there’s no running away should the attention begin to waiver. So just sit tight in there, shut the world out, and catch up on that book you know you’ve been wanting to. Did you know Japanese books are specially designed to be able to hold comfortably on the go?
Talk
Chances are that there are people in your office cab who belong in other departments and you otherwise never have a platform to socialise with them. This is your chance. Cab conversations are easy to strike, and unless you have managed to piss someone off enough for them to get out of a moving car, you have a locked audience.
Observe the world
Early morning commute in the city witnesses different kind of people hurrying about for work, parents dropping their children to school, hurried goodbyes, conversations across autos, the cute techie in the civic, the romantic couple in the auto or bike to whom you just can’t resist screaming ‘get a room!’ or the creepy guy on a yellow Karizma with bleached jeans and hair ‘Dhoom machaoing’ on the roads! Just don’t be creepy about it.
Groom on the move
Long, traffic jam-ridden commutes could be a blessing in disguise when you’re on your way to somewhere where you just have to arrive looking mint fresh. Be it untangling that stubborn mop of just washed hair delicately, or touching up on the gloss or darkening the eye pencil, bring on the jam when you have to pretty up.
Stills on the move
During a commute in the city, at a jam is when you put that camera phone to a good use and capture the most honest forms of humour for posterity, which includes gems like “Available- Child bear” on a liquor shop banner or the classics people put on their bumpers – “Don’t kiss me”, “ horn if your horny”! Or you could always be like that girl from did the “Woman catcalled 108 times during a 12 hour walk in NYC”. Except just don’t get catcalled a 108 times.
Music on the move
This one is a no brainer. The most preferred option of commuters worldwide. Tune out those blaring and unnecessary honking, wroooooms and beeps and just plug in your iPod/Smartphone earphones and catch up on the awesome music or videos you haven’t had the time or opportunity to listen to. Stats have it that 43% of the music in the world gets listened to on the go.
Alright folks I’ve reached the end of my commute! So that makes it the last point. Blog on the move. Journeys however small have inspired the greatest of writers. Did you know JK Rowling conceived Harry Potter while on the tube in London?
And here is a neat commercial from Tic Tac on Fun in Commuting!