Do you have a half hour or longer commute? If so, you may feel like you’re wasting 5 hours a week with the task of driving. Many people do unsafe things like talking on a cellphone, text messaging, even reading the newspaper while they drive. Why? To regain some of that lost time. But there are plenty of safer ways to get something accomplished while you’re stuck in traffic.
Relax. This ought to be the easiest one, but sometimes isn’t. Turn on some music, drive a little slower and just use the time to relax. Remind yourself that everybody needs a little down time, so that’s productive, too. You’ll probably find this a lot easier to do part of the time, if you do something else at other times, so here are a few ideas.
- Listen to an audiobook. Whether it’s just the novel you don’t have time to read or a business book to help your career or finances.
- Brush up on a foreign language. Publishers like Pimsleur and Berlitz offer CDs, tapes and even downloadable MP3s specifically designed for learning a language while you drive. Here’s a useful skill that also helps sharpen the brain generally.
- Listen to news or talk radio. No matter your interest, there’s probably a talk radio program available to fit - from personal advice to pets to cars to cigars, talk radio is about a lot more than just current events. (Just remember when you’re ready to call in to a talk radio program that the number 4 tip in my list of 12 tips for calling a talk radio show is “don’t use a cellphone!” Wait for the phone call until you’re out of the car.)
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