Five Tips for Dealing with a Killer Commute

If there is one thing starting a career in London as a creative taught me, it's how to deal with an insanely long commute. London is one of the most competitive cities in the world, with a population of over 8.1 million of which 1/6 of London's economy is generated from the creative field. For the first two years of my career, I would spend 3 hours every day travelling to and from work. I guess you are wondering why I chose to live where I did, well once you add the eye-watering rent prices and sharing with people I already knew from my university days, it makes it more understandable why I never moved. Fast forward 7 years and I now work remotely, unless travelling for in-person client meetings or when exploring cities for my travel photography project. But I learned a lot during those first few years of making that commute more bearable.

One — Read Everything

This tip is the most common advice anyone would give you. It is the tool that most commuters use to pass the time and combat the boredom. There's so much literature to get stuck into and statistics show that book sales in London are still on the rise, what better way to use your committing time? You could get lost in a non-fiction novel like "I Am Pilgrim", "The Watch Maker's Hand", or "The Trap." Or use the time to learn a new skill language such as reading a classic novel in Spanish. I read The Hunger Games in Spanish, it was a challenge but now I feel more confident in reading in a second language. Or expand your knowledge by studying a book on your favourite topic.

Two — Journal

What’s better for your mind than reading? Writing! Take the time to write about your goals, dreams and desires which can benefit you before arriving at the office, making you feel more motivated to start the day. Or on your way home using the time to reflect on your experiences can help you relax after a busy day. It can also help guide you through your next career move. Or help you get on track for personal goals such as running a marathon or saving for your next adventure. Yet there is no excuse to try it out. Suppose you don’t have a pen and paper, you can use your phone there are so many apps for writing these days.

Three — Meditate

Meditation is a powerful tool to help deal with daily stress. We all know that a long commute can contribute to your stress levels. While meditating for the entire journey might be a challenging task. Taking a few minutes out of your commute to concentrate on your breath and listen to a guided meditation video or practice mindfulness can make that journey more enjoyable.

Four — Get Creative

This one is simple if you always have my Mac on me but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative during your commute. Bring your laptop and download some creative software. Why not start mixing music? Learn Photoshop or other photo editing software. Have a go at video editing. Or even bring an adult colouring book to pass the time. Creativity has a huge impact on your mental health so it can make that commuter blues go away.

Five — Listen to Anything

When all else fails! Listen to your favourite summer anthems, humourous podcasts, or educational audiobooks. If you're travelling on the London Underground there might come a time when your hands are on the parts of strangers you would never dare touch and your nose is stuck near someone’s armpit. It would help if you took yourself away from the moment, and having a playlist to hand can work wonders.

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For more tips, tricks and advice on surviving the world while chasing your dream of that creative career visit JamesNealeCreative.com