Many people consider the time spent commuting to-and-from work as “dead time”, or a period of time that is inactive and that has little to no purpose. In a rapidly growing city like Karachi that suffers from severe traffic jams on a daily basis, people often find themselves spending over 2.5 to 3 hours commuting each day. When you finally reach home after work, there is barely any time for your self. But here’s a secret: your commute can be an opportunity for you to focus on you!
Here are 5 ways that you can make your commute more productive:
1. Start a conversation!
One of the beautiful things about carpooling with is that you are instantly connected to a pool of working professionals near you. Our mobile application automatically pairs you with one or two other individuals that live or work near you. Strike up a conversation with the other commuters in your carpool and make new friends! It’s easy and you never know where or what opportunity it may lead you to.
2. Learn something new
If you’re too tired or not in the mood to talk to the other people in your carpool, you can take the time during your commute to work on your personal or professional growth. Learn a new language (Duolingo and Rosetta Stone are great!), read a book (there are a tons of pdf versions of books that you can download straight to your phone), or learn a new skill on Coursera. There are a lot of free apps related to learning on the and that you can use to take advantage of your commute time.
3. Get organized before your work day
The first thing you probably do when you get to your desk in the morning is check your emails. A lot of time is spent decluttering your inbox and organizing your schedule accordingly. Take advantage of the time you have at your office by strategizing your day beforehand during your commute! is a great place to start building your work schedule.
4. Clear your mind
After a long work day, the only thing you probably want to do when you get to your car or bus is sleep! In order to have a more relaxing and peaceful rest during your commute, you might want to consider practicing some meditation. According to the U.S Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and Women’s Health Magazine, meditation can help reduce stress, chronic pain (such as headaches), and blood pressure. Mobile apps such as Headspace offer breathing and mindfulness sessions to help you clear your mind and feel more relaxed (there are also a bunch of resources online for free).
5. Listen to an audiobook or podcast
If you’ve exhausted the music on your phone, try listening to an audiobook or a podcast instead. This can be a great alternative to listening to music and zoning out during your commute. A quick search on NPR and iTunes will share a list of podcasts of different topics that might spark your interest!
That’s it! Who’s ready to try out these steps?
