Five Ways to Make Your Commute Bearable
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvertje/2022269618/
Sometimes, getting to and from work presents us with as many challenges as we actually face at work. Traffic jams, malfunctioning cars and the ever-elusive parking space can combine to make our commutes become ordeals to be endured that can leave us exhausted and/or frantic.
Finding ways to handle these kind of situations by arming yourself with a portable MP3 player can make a big difference in how you arrive at your destination — whether it be home or work or someplace in between — and generally make your day go a lot better so that you show up in a great mood instead of a stressed mess.
Just about anywhere you go these days, you can listen to audios that resonate with you. Whether you take the bus to work, drive your car or ride a bicycle, your favourite tunes can accompany you. If you’re in your car you probably have a sound system that can envelop you in the kind of tunes that appeal to your taste.
If you’re out and about on foot, the personal music device gives you just enough buffer from the “real world” so that you can maintain the kind of objective attitude that helps handle stressful situations
1. Favourite Music
Everyone has their favourites, and music is certainly no exception. Select music for your commute that is upbeat, lively and doesn’t push to many of your sentimental buttons. Keep in mind that it is easy to get distracted when you’re listing to your favourite tunes, so only select them when you can afford to be mildly distracted.
2. Audio Books
Most every book you have ever read or wanted to read is available in an audio book format, some read by professional actors complete with music and sound effects. If your commute is particularly long and boring, listening to a great book could be a marvellous way to pass the time.
3. Binaural Beats
Modern researchers have discovered that the brain functions best when both the left and right hemispheres are communicating freely. To enhance this ability, audio experts have developed a series of programs that reproduce the beta, Alpha and delta wave frequencies for ideal brain stimulation and create two separate tones that are directed into each ear. The brain automatically “harmonizes” the two tones and makes them into one, therefore synchronizing the hemispheres. This process balances the brain, relieves tension and heightens your ability to concentrate and will not make you sleepy or create a hazard to operating machinery.
4. Soundtracks
When you know you going to be interrupted frequently and may not be able to pay full attention to your selections, considering including a play list of soundtracks from some of your favourite movies. Listening to a soundtrack gives your ordinary day a new sense of “thrill” as common activities are set amid the kind of music your brain has come to associate with exciting scenes.
5. Lectures/Podcasts
On the Internet, many venues have downloadable recordings of fascinating lectures given at conferences, universities and conventions that are available — many for free — to add to your library. These lectures range from old recordings of notable historical figures to cutting edge technology conferences and provide a chance to learn about the world while you commute.
