Your Commute Is Part of Your Life, Too—Why Not Enjoy It?
There’s a strange thing many of us do with our commute.
We treat it as though it doesn’t quite count.
It’s the space between home and work. Between where we were and where we need to be. Something to endure, hurry through, or mentally wish away so we can get on with the rest of our day.
But those minutes are part of your life, too.
And when you add them together, they can become a surprisingly large part of it.
A 30-minute commute each way, five days a week, adds up to about 250 hours a year. That’s more than ten full days of your life.
So perhaps the question isn’t simply, How can I get through my commute?
Maybe it’s:
How could I actually enjoy it?
Your Attitude Gets in the Car With You
Imagine starting your drive with:
Ugh. Here we go again.
I hate this traffic.
I just want to get there.
Before you've traveled a mile, you've already told yourself what kind of experience you're about to have.
Now imagine something different.
This is my time.
I’m going to enjoy this drive.
I have nowhere else I need to be for the next 30 minutes except right here.
The traffic hasn't disappeared.
The distance hasn't changed.
But you have.
And that matters.
Our inner dialogue helps shape the way we experience ordinary moments. If you continually tell yourself something is miserable, annoying, or a waste of time, you’re unlikely to discover much enjoyment while doing it.
But you can tell yourself something else.
I’m going to enjoy the process.
Then give yourself reasons to.
Make the Car Somewhere You Want to Be
Your car doesn't have to feel like a holding cell between destinations.
Make it a place you enjoy spending time.
Keep it clean. Choose a scent you love. Bring your favorite coffee or tea. Wear sunglasses that make you feel fabulous. Open the sunroof when the weather is beautiful. Adjust the temperature until you're comfortable.
These things sound small because they are small.
That's the point.
Joy doesn't always require a major event. Sometimes it's an iced coffee, a great pair of sunglasses, your favorite song and sunlight coming through the windshield.
Create an environment that tells your brain:
I like being here.
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Give Yourself Something to Look Forward To
What could make you actually look forward to getting into the car?
Maybe there's a playlist you only listen to during your commute.
Maybe you're halfway through an audiobook you can't wait to continue.
Perhaps you're learning a language, listening to a fascinating podcast, discovering new music or revisiting songs you haven't heard in years.
And sometimes?
Turn everything off.
No podcast. No phone call. No attempt to make the time productive.
Just drive.
Let your mind wander. Look around. Enjoy a little solitude before you walk into a day filled with other people, conversations, responsibilities and noise.
Your commute doesn't need to become another item on your self-improvement plan.
Enjoyment is enough.
Let Yourself Have Fun
Somewhere along the way, adulthood can become unnecessarily serious.
You're alone in your car.
Sing.
Sing badly.
Play the song you loved when you were seventeen. Drum your fingers on the steering wheel at a red light. Laugh at yourself. Dance a little in your seat.
There is no prize for arriving at work having behaved very seriously for the entire drive.
Sometimes enjoying the process simply means giving yourself permission to be playful.
Look Outside the Windshield
When we travel the same route repeatedly, we stop seeing it.
Everything becomes familiar enough to disappear.
Try looking again.
Notice how dramatically the sky changes from one morning to another.
Watch the seasons slowly alter the landscape.
Notice a beautiful building you've passed hundreds of times. The mountains in the distance. Someone walking an enthusiastic dog. A spectacular cloud formation. A ridiculous bumper sticker that makes you laugh.
You don't have to turn your commute into a mindfulness exercise.
Just become curious about what might be interesting today.
The world is remarkably good at providing little surprises when we're actually looking at it.
And Then There's Traffic
This is where enjoying the process becomes a choice rather than simply a pleasant idea.
Traffic is frustrating.
But once you're sitting in it, you have two separate circumstances:
The traffic itself.
And your reaction to being in it.
You may not have much control over the first.
You have considerably more influence over the second.
You can stare at the line of brake lights thinking:
This is horrible. I'm wasting my time. Why aren't we moving?
And now you're sitting in traffic and having a miserable experience.
Or you can acknowledge the obvious:
Well, I'm here.
Then ask yourself:
What would make these next fifteen minutes better?
Put on the song.
Continue the audiobook.
Notice the sunset.
Enjoy your coffee.
Take the opportunity to simply sit somewhere comfortable for a few minutes.
You don't need to pretend you wanted the traffic.
You're simply deciding that traffic doesn't get to determine the quality of the next fifteen minutes of your life.
That distinction is at the heart of enjoying the process.
Stop Calling It Wasted Time
There are portions of life we unconsciously label as meaningful and others we treat as filler.
Vacations count.
Dinner with friends counts.
Celebrations count.
The destination counts.
But commuting, waiting, cleaning, errands and all the little transitions between those moments?
We often treat them like time that needs to disappear.
Except it doesn't disappear.
We live it.
And if you spend your life continually waiting to arrive somewhere else before allowing yourself to enjoy where you are, there's always going to be another destination.
Another task.
Another traffic light.
Another Monday morning.
Another thing standing between you and the moment you've decided will finally be worth enjoying.
This Is Your Time, Too
Tomorrow, when you get into your car, try something.
Before you pull away, tell yourself:
I’m going to enjoy this.
Then participate in making that true.
Choose the music.
Bring the coffee.
Notice the sky.
Sing the song.
Enjoy the silence.
Laugh at something ridiculous.
Let the drive belong to you.
Because those minutes aren't standing between you and your life.
They are your life.
And you don't have to wait until you arrive somewhere else to start enjoying it.
Enjoy the Process
What part of your day have you been treating as something to “get through”? Choose one tomorrow and ask yourself: How could I make this more enjoyable while I’m doing it? Then try it. You may be surprised by how little has to change around you for the experience inside you to feel completely different.
Enjoy,
Tamara