113: Make Your Commute the Best Part of Your Day, Backed by Science

More Happy Life with Andy Proctor

Studies show that our wellbeing can be greatly impacted by our commute, but that it's what we believe about our commute that makes the difference. Here are 8 tips that can help you tell the right story and make your commute the best part of your day.

Mindfulness -

• don’t close your eyes, connect to yourself, connect to God, get in touch with your body.
• Engage in loving kindness meditation,

Education-

• Millionaires read more than anyone else. Constantly educating. Create an education program that gets you excited.
• What are you interested in? Create a playlist on podcasts, audible, Libby or get a subscription to Blinkist and learn like crazy.

Dealing with road ragers-

• Make the good assumptions
• Tell the right story.
• It doesn’t matter to them anyway.
• Here are some good stories:
  • wedding night
• Hospital pregnant
• Kids in trouble

What’s your story of the commute?

• What story are you telling yourself?

Savor the good stuff

• architecture
• Nature

Change it up

• don’t go the same way every time. Our brain thrives with variety. Get playful with it. If you ride a train, sit somewhere different

Dance party

• make an amazingly energizing playlist
• Be that guy who you see rocking out in their car
• Be the girl in the train with headphones who is so into her playlist that taps her foot and would be dancing if there were room

Connect

• Look at your friendship wall each week and decide to connect to someone during your commute
• Connect with a family member on the phone during the commute. If you can’t talk, leave them a Marco Polo or a voice message

Use it as a transition to boost energy

• We lose quite a bit of energy through our day because we don’t transition. So take advantage of the time you have during your commute to transition from work to home or home to work.
• Inhale, release tension, exhale, set intention

Here is where I found the studies: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/12/07/want-to-be-happier-change-your-commute-or-change-your-attitude/#7daa21e77417