6 ways to make the most out of your daily commute to work

Let's all admit it; commuting to work kind of sucks.

Whether you drive, cycle or take public transport, there's always going to be something that bothers you.

The guy manspreading on the Luas; the child stinking up the bus with cheese and onion crisps; the traffic that moves two inches every ten minutes.

Commuting turns many of us into total cranks, so instead of thinking negative thoughts on your way to and from work, here are some tips to make your journey a little less aggravating.

Headphones all the way

If you take public transport, headphones will be your saving grace.

Say goodbye to listening to whatever chart music the young ones are blasting at the end of the bus, and say hello to listening to your favourite artists.

 

Podcasts are your new best friend

If you don't fancy dancing along with Beyonce, then a podcast is the way to go.

There's nothing better than being able to sit back, relax and let someone else do that talking. It's also enjoyable to listen to a constructive conversation without having to say a word.

There are so many podcasts out there at the moment targeted at millennials, so you never know what you could learn on your way home. Here are a few of our faves.

Read, read, read

There's only so many Cosmo articles you can read on your journey. 

Many of us complain that we don't have enough time to read our favourite books anymore, so commuting is the perfect time to catch up on your fave fiction and fantasy novels.

Reading will also help the commute go by much faster.

Stash the snacks

Whether your commute is 30 minutes or two hours, we've all found ourselves thinking about food at some point or another.

Do yourself a favour and bring a few snacks on your commute.

Be smart about it though – nuts or a bar is fine, but you don't to be like that child up the front suffocating people with the smell of stinky crisps.

But don't drink

There's nothing worse than stepping onto your bus or into the car and realising you need to… relieve yourself.

Try not to drink anything about 30 minutes before leaving your job, and try refrain from drinking once you're on the bus/Luas/train/car.

Buy a portable changer

Going back to traffic being so unpredictable – a 45 minute ride home could easily turn into 90 minutes, and if you have nothing else with you but your phone, you'll be at a total loss when the battery dies.

No games, no music, no reading, no nothing. So, do yourself a favour and buy a portable changer. 

Your future commuter-self will thank you.