Two months into my new working schedule I’ve become pretty adept at managing the juggle of doing a full time role with my Rock My Style commitments.
I’ve had to become more organised than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I’m writing this post late Sunday afternoon having already picked out and ironed my work outfit for tomorrow. I’ve booked a spot at a Monday morning pre-work yoga class and laid out my yoga kit. I’ve made tomorrow’s lunch, well I made double lunch today and saved the rest for tomorrow – a salad of avocado, quinoa, red onion, roasted sweet potatoes and spinach. And, once I’ve finished writing this post, I have a list of things to do before I go to bed.
Realistically with a couple of evenings out planned during the week it’s unlikely I’ll maintain this level of organization until Friday but I know if I don’t my morning will involve me tearing my flat apart on a mission to find my Oyster card, ironing my outfit whilst eating porridge at the same time (what could possibly go wrong?!) and/or arriving at the office without my pass which means I can’t move freely through the building or use the printer, both of which are very annoying.
So, I know what needs doing to make my week run smoothly, I’m even trying to reclaim my lunch break as I explained a couple of weeks ago, but the one bit of my working day that I really haven’t worked out is my commute. On mornings when I go direct from home to the office and evenings when I do the reverse, the journey takes around an hour each way. Half the journey, sometimes all of it, is on a tube line that is so packed with fellow commuters there’s hardly room for me to read a book, magazine or newspaper. It’s kinda stressful, I do my best not to let it get to me (yoga breathing helps!) but it feels as if I’m wasting a lot of time – two hours a day, 10 hours a week, I’m not going to add up how many hours so far this year, it’s too depressing. Whatever it seems a shame, life is short and all that.
At the speed I cycle I’m not sure that it’s practical to bike it to the office, thus combining my commute with a workout. Not to mention the fact that cycling in rush hour traffic is not really my idea of a great start to the day. Which does rather leave me stuck on the tube, which isn’t a great start to the day either, but it is probably safer.
What I’m wondering is how I can better use my time on my commute and I’m thinking you might be able to help. What do you do on your commute to pass the time, or better yet, pass the time more usefully? Apps, audio books or podcasts you would recommend for inspiration and/or education or even just entertainment? New music (bands, albums, whatever) that I could listen to? Anything else I haven’t thought of? As always, do share below!
Image above of zen-like model wearing the Holistic Retreat All In One from Sweaty Betty’s Yoga Retreat Collection. You can buy it here.
Well done for being so organised! I only make it to my train on time with a lunch and breakfast because my wife has organised it all for me. Commuting isn’t a lot of fun, I have a 4 hour round commute on various trains, 4 days a week (thank god for onesie Friday!) I usually spend my commute reading, I’ve managed to almost finish my re-read of the Game of Thrones series, catching up on Netflix, finding new music on spotify and working on some of my voluntary work. I think if it hadn’t been for Netflix and Spotify I would have gone crazy with all the travelling.
The organisation doesn’t usually last past Wednesday Gracie! Wow, that is a long commute. Onsie Friday sounds immense. Best. Day. Of. The. Week!
I read RMS on my commute! Which is what I’m doing right now. I have quite a short journey, just a few stops on the victoria line but that’s still far too much time underground. But Yay for wifi. Although it’s also a bad thing, I got into a bad habit of reading my emails on the tube. There’s nothing you can do to respond properly and its just an unnecessary stress. Sometimes I bring my kindle, without its cover, as that doesn’t take up too much space. I also run either the morning or evening journey. Also, can you slightly alter your hours so you’re either going just before it gets rammed or leave when it’s quietening down? I find even an hour makes a difference, and it just gives you a little more breathing space to be able to hold a book etc x
Happy to hear RMS entertains you on your commute Sian. Slightly different hours would definitely make a difference. The Central Line going west at 8am and east around 6pm is best avoided!
I spent a long time commuting to work by train. It wasn’t a long journey, only 20mins each way. But I found having a good book to read made it so much more pleasant. I now don’t get through anywhere near as many books! It’s hard when your train is packed though. There were plenty of times when I would be stood, with my head almost in somebody else’s arm pit and all I could do was hope I didn’t fall into them. I don’t miss it.
I’ve had people use my head as a book stand in the past Alex, I fixed them with a hard stare, Paddington style…
I feel your pain… I have a daily battle with the Northern Line! As well as reading RMS I listen to Radio 4 Women’s Hour podcasts… They’re free and once you’ve subscribed they update daily. Full of wide ranging content and inspiring women, each interview/ piece is short enough for a commute! I also line up music on Soundcloud and listen to that… Current new fave band is Aquilo. I urge you to check them out! Otherwise trying to squeeze in a morning run prior to getting on the tube at least makes me feel better within myself!
Ooh will subscribe to Women’s Hour podcasts and check out Aquilo, thanks Nicky!
When I read the title of your post, I had to read it, I had to reply 😉 I commute, just like you, 2 hours a day, running from one place to other, from subway to train and back. What has saved my life so far? Books: Kindle, paper-based, audio-books. Magazines too. I also read them on my phone, so if there are space issues in the wagon, that’s better than flipping through the pages while standing and swaying… Sometimes I also listen to my favorite radio station (FranceInter, I’m based in France…). There’s one thing I have banned: inactivity as in staring out the window, simply because then I do feel like I am totally wasting my time. The idea for me is to take the commuting time as an opportunity to do/read/listen to things I really, deeply enjoy (and have no time to do at home given the child frenzy around!). I hope this will help and would love to hear what solutions will work best for you!
Aw, thank you Daydreamer, so many things to try. Urgh, hate inactivity too. Will let you know how I get on!
I only have a short drive of 15 minutes to work so there is not much I can do in this time. I signed up to audible a year or so ago and it is one of the best things I have ever done. I love listening to audio books while I drive, on my lunch break and even at the gym. It’s great to pass the time and I even put my headphones on when I’m vacuuming at home.
Will investigate Audible, thanks Claire!
I so sympathise! I have 1.5 hrs commute (if all goes well) each way and I hate it. We moved house not to long ago and even though we are further out now, we have the luxury (and expenditure 🙁 ) of fast trains. I’m lucky enough that now I usually get a seat which helps with reading or daydreaming but I also found it extremely hard to relax on ram-packed trains where you just about manage to stand.
I found Audible to be a life and mind-saver. It gave me the chance to filter out the people and noise around me whilst listening to all the books I couldn’t read.
Podcasts can also be great (or Spotify) but of course you need wifi if you’re streaming which is nearly impossible on the tube (and most trains have a crappy reception, too).
Ooh, another Audible fan, definitely checking it out – thanks Maike!
I’ve had to totally revamp my commute ever since we moved out of London to Surrey. I used to live in Central London about 10 minutes easy commute from work. I now live 23 miles away and this involves a 30 minute train ride into Waterloo. It’s pretty easy (one of the reasons we moved here) and, as I start at 9:30, I can generally get a seat on the train, which makes a big difference. I’ve actually begun to embrace my commuting time; I’ve started reading a lot more and I use the time to to catch up on all the shows that my fiance doesn’t like watching*! I also watch a lot of interesting documentaries on BBC (my recent fave was Michael Mosley’s look at “Pain, Pus and Poison” – all about the discovery of modern medicines etc – fascinating).
However, that’s only really doable if you’ve got space to watch your iPad or tablet – which it doesn’t sound like you do, Miranda! In which case, I would heartily recommend some audio books and/or podcasts. I started a free trial on audible and was v impressed. I also think it can help you to shut out a slightly stressy/busy tube journey also as you can ignore everything around you, close your eyes and listen!
*For anyone looking for a new series, I’ve just started watching “Once Upon a Time”. It’s pretty silly (an evil curse means every fairytale character ever is transport to a town in the US and don’t know who they are) but it’s got some really strong female characters and positive ‘powerful women’ messaging which is really refreshing (and surprising considering the story content!) so far!
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of Audible before, definitely checking it out. Love the sound of Once Upon A Time too. Thanks Kate!
Another fan of Audible here! I don’t have a massive commute but do enjoy listening in the car – and now long car journeys have become a luxury where I can get immersed into a book. Also use them during my lunch time walk…reclaiming my lunch break 🙂
Audiobooks I have particularly enjoyed are all the JK Rowling books since Harry Potter (including the ones written as Robert Galbraith – they are wonderfully narrated). And believe it or not, The Casual Vacancy book was not a load of cr*p, despite the BBC’s shocking adaptation – and it worked very well as a audiobook!!
I have to confess that I only read the first four HP books, so finishing up the series via audio book would be a very good way to pass my commute. Thanks Diane!
I have an hour commute in the car and I was looking for something as a change from the radio. I just started Serial, a 12 part podcast from the makers of This American Life. It’s great, I am really enjoying. It’s making me look forward to my commute in the morning!
I’ve heard such good things about Serial, must get on it – thanks Rachel, anything that makes me look forward to my commute has got to be a good thing!
Oh and I forgot to mention that you can register a variety of devices to your Audible account – which means you can also share it with others! I do with my brother and it saves both of us some money and is great for discovering some gems you might not have considered by yourself.
Great tip, thanks Maike!
Podcasts are great Miranda – I listen to running ones (marathon talk, parkrun show), comedy ones (Josh Widdicombe on Xfm), you know I LOVED serial and Gretchen Rubin (of the happiness project fame) has just started a podcast called ‘happier’. It’s worth a listen. Otherwise, it’s kindle for me.
You know I loved Gretchen’s book, excited to check out the podcast – thanks Chrissi! x
I listen to audiobooks when I do long runs and cycles. I find classics are good, as are non-fiction books, like essays or memoirs. I especially loved Amy Poehler’s Yes Please.
Give cycling a shot! Do it one day and see how you get on. Cycling slowly is the way to go- you arrive feeling good about yourself, not sweaty, no need to change clothes, and fully awake and ready for the day. There’s a plethora of information available on the web, try looking for Cycle Chic, Velo Vixen, um Help! My Chain Came Off and Lady Velo. It’s a whole new stylish world 🙂
I’ve heard of Cycle Chic, but the rest are new to me Jemma. Thanks for the cycling encouragement. Inspired to give it a go!
I downloaded the Ted talks app a few months ago and find it so good for my commute. There is so much on there and such a variety of talks to suit any mood. You can download them in advance and save up for the tube journey. I find it so good getting to work having learnt something new and there are some super good motivational ones on there to get you through the day! I can thoroughly recommend Susan Cain’s talk about the power of introverts and Ziauddin Yousafzai’s: My daughter, Malala is extremely inspirational
Ooh, good shout Cat. Love the sound of Susan Cain’s talk and thoroughly enjoyed Malala’s book so very excited to hear about Ziauddin Yousafzais’s: My daughter, Malala. Thank you!
I recently found this website of ‘True Stories Told Live’ where ordinary people tell their own stories. Many are downloadable. I found A Tale of Two Lives in particular really compelling (sadly this one’s not downloadable but I recommend it!)
http://themoth.org/stories
True Stories Told Live sound so interesting Kate, thanks for sharing!
You have sympathies with a full tube commute – not nice at all. When I worked in central London I used the train and bus in the morning but found it quicker to tube it home (to Brixton) and then bus. It was quick as I said, but I’d be squashed between people on the Central and then again on the Victoria until Victoria station. Then and only then could I get a seat. The only way I could get through it was listening to music! Reading wasn’t an option -by the time it cleared out, it was only a few stations to go!
Now I do a commute from southeast to southwest and since they’ve decided in their infinite wisdom to half close London Bridge, the knock on effect is unbelievable. Most days I can get a seat, and then I can pull out a book and zone out a bit. But more recently, the train before mine is cancelled, meaning more people on mine… Today resulted in elbows digging into my back and stomach for 20mins!
Rant over… I second podcasts – a Woman’s Hour is good and if you like satire, the Friday Night Comedy on Radio 4 is good too. I recently downloaded the full series of Cabin Pressure which I can highly recommend (although I do struggle to contain my laughter on a busy train…!)
The situation at London Bridge is ridiculous, feeling your pain Jo. Definitely getting on Woman’s hour and love comedy! Thank you for your recommendations.
I’ve come to love audiobooks for my commute – I first listened to “An Officer and a Spy” (LOVED it!) and have more recently listened to “Get Your Sh*t Together” by the same woman who wrote “Run, fat bitch, run”. And also podcasts – Serial (obviously) and also the Stuff You Should Know podcast.
And sometimes I meditate for a bit – the Headspace app has two sessions devoted to meditating/commuting.
And I listen to music but I’m totally hopeless at branching out into much new (though I did love Sia’s album and that saw me through many many commutes).
I’m not sure it’d be an option for you, but I also found moving my commute forward a bit, just by about 10 mins, made the difference between being a sardine and feeling like a normal human who could sit down for the 45 min commute. And sitting means I can read etc – made a big difference even though I do have to haul myself out of bed that slight bit earlier…
You’re not the first person to recommend Get Your Sh*t Together to me Anna, taking that as I sign I must listen to it/read it stat! The time I commute definitely makes a difference. If I do a yoga class on the way, although I don’t usually get a seat, I do have space to read, without fear of someone crushing me and/or whatever I’m reading, but even on the days when I don’t do yoga setting off a bit earlier, or leaving bang on time in the evening helps and I should get more disciplined about it.
Listen to Serial – Its a podcast about a guy in prison in America for something he may or may not have done. Very gripping. My commute is an hour and 15 mins, although I work 12 hour shifts so it if often pretty quiet. Although tackling the hammersmith and city line at 8.30 am after a 12 hour night shift is a special kind of hell. x