As more of us are working from home, it has become even more apparent how stressful the daily commute really is. If you’re someone who’s working out of the house or who’s currently working from home and dreading going back to the commute, here are a few things that could help you to make it a more calming experience going forward…

Ditch the car

If you’re someone who usually takes your own car to work, think about ditching it in favor of a calmer mode of transport. For example, many people find cycling to work to be a very serene experience, while some people enjoy the ability to read a book on the train or subway (although this is only likely to be possible if you’re traveling at quiet times). Could you find a better way to travel to work?

Try an electric car

If you do need to drive, have you considered switching to an electric car instead? Electric cars are quieter, less polluting, and more relaxing to drive than standard vehicles, so they could enable you to have a bit more peace on your daily commute to and from work.

Take the scenic route

Taking the scenic route is a good way to calm your commute down a little. If you’re surrounded by nature rather than a dirty highway, it’s always going to make you feel better. Of course, if you’re living in NYC this could be tricky, but you may be able to find a slightly less congested route at the very least!

Listen to something great

Whether it’s your favorite fashion podcast or a playlist comprising of your most chilled out tunes, listening to something you love can make the commute go a lot faster and take some of the stress out of the journey. Classical music may not be your thing, but studies have shown that it is particularly good at calming us down, so if you could create a playlist comprising of Mozart, Bach, and Chopin, you’d be doing yourself a big favor4. But, if you prefer something a bit more modern, it should still do the trick.

Meditate

If you’re not the one doing the driving, you might want to think about downloading a meditation app like Calm to help you get through the commute. The simple act of focusing on your breath and clearing your head can do wonders for your stress levels. It will also help to put you in a more focused mindset ready for the day ahead at work.

Read a book

Instead of spending your time pursuing Instagram or commenting on the daily news on Twitter, switch off your device and get lost in a good book. Yo0u’ll instantly be transported away from the dirty subway setting to somewhere far more interesting and your commute will be a whole lot better for it.

A calmer commute

As you can see, a calmer commute is totally possible. You just need to take action and put a few things into practice to make it more bearable.