Whether you commute on the train, on the bus, in a car, or on your own two legs, it’s likely that you spend your time scrolling social media, listening to media, or daydreaming before you get to the office and get down to business.

Though there’s nothing wrong with taking a mental time-out during your commute, you could instead harness that time and make it more productive. Here are a few ways to kick-start your day before you get to the office.

 

Check your work email

Checking the emails you received since you left the office the day before may not sound like the thing you want to do during your commute, but even just scrolling through and getting a sense of what awaits you can provide oversight on how to manage your time.

If you want to be more proactive, respond to the emails you didn’t get a chance to engage with the day before, or go ahead and get small matters for the day over with so that when you’re at your desk you can focus on the more time-consuming tasks.

 

Make a to-do list

Think about the projects you have on or the tasks you know await you and listing out the things you need to accomplish, can help you jumpstart your day. You’ll have a sense of what to tackle first, and because you’ve already been thinking about it, you can dive right in.

 

Read industry news

If you’re not quite ready to dive in to your email or to start thinking about structuring your day, catching up on news headlines, articles and thought leadership pieces from people in your industry can be a good way to ease you in to the day. Who knows, it might even give you a great idea for a blog or op-ed all your own.

 

Listen to industry podcasts

If reading in a moving vehicle gives you a headache or makes you feel carsick, try listening to a podcast instead. There are loads of options across all industries that can give you an overview of hot topics, interviews with business leaders, or discussions about looking to the future. These can ease you into the day and perhaps even give you something new to ponder.

 

Learn a new language

If you’d rather spend your commuting time doing something productive but not directly work related, why not learn a new language or brush up on skills? There’s a wide array of language-learning apps available that make it easy to pick up grammar and vocabulary on-the-go. As you advance, you might even be able to apply your new, multilingual capabilities at work.

 

By engaging in any of these activities during your commute, you’ll be starting your day in a productive manner that will hopefully have you feeling energised and excited to tackle your to-do list when you get to your desk.