11 Ways to Improve Your Daily Commute: The Ultimate Sustainable Guide.

Living in a world that is always on the go, commuting is an unavoidable part of our everyday adult lives.

And to be honest, it is not exactly the favorite part of our day.

In fact, surviving this part of our day can be frustrating most times.

If you live in big commercial cities, like the city that never sleeps — New York, you will be familiar with long traffic jams and fumes from cars polluting your clean air on the way to work.

Now, these factors harm your health.

And like many other human activities, they hurt the planet too.

Fortunately, there are many ways to improve your daily commuting experience. And we have compiled them all in one place for you, with sustainability in mind. 

Putting factors like traffic and air pollution into consideration. Here is a list of practical tips that are already improving the daily commuting experience of many people.

Ready to get the best out of your commuting? Start here:

Try Green Commuting.

Driving alone to work has been said to cause anxiety due to factors like traffic jams. Green commuting, on the other hand, provides higher life satisfaction, better health, and improved moods.

Here are some easy ways to start green commuting:

1. Ride a Bike to Work:

Biking to work is a popular option in Europe. Studies have proved that the increased presence of cyclists in some cities has resulted in less traffic for people living there.

So if you live close to your workplace or school, riding a bike is a quick and easy way to get to your destination.

Additionally, biking allows you to exercise on the go.

In fact, scientific studies have revealed that people who ride a bike to work, take fewer sick days off than their driving peers.

2. Take Public Transportation:

Taking Public transportation means taking either the bus or train to your destination. Even if you own a car, leaving it at home sometimes could help you manage time and better your quality of life.

First of all, taking the bus helps to significantly reduce traffic. According to the Bus Industry Confederation in Australia, “A full bus can take 40 cars off the road.”

Whew, imagine the traffic situation if buses didn’t operate.

And if a bus takes 40 cars off the road, you can only imagine how many cars a train takes off the road.

Thankfully, most big cities have excellent public transport systems with social distancing measures in place. So depending on your preference and destination, take either medium of public transport whenever you can.

As a personal benefit, you would find taking the train and bus is much cheaper and kinder to your budget. Additionally, taking a break from driving means you can catch up on your work emails and assignments before getting to work.

3. Telecommute or work from home:

Hear us out…

What if the way to have a better commuting experience is to skip commuting altogether?

If you have a really long commute daily, and the work you do could be completed from home. Then you could try convincing your company to let you work and teleconference from home.

Millions of people around the world are working from home.

Why not you?

Once you remove the long hours you spend commuting daily, you become more productive.

4. Share your car or join a Carpool:

Prefer being in a car to public transportation? Starting a carpool or joining one would be one good alternative for you. Not only does it help reduce traffic and air pollution (from carbon emissions caused by slow-moving cars). It also helps save gas money.

If any of your coworkers live close by or can easily be picked up on your way to work, ask them if they’d like to start carpooling with you.

5. Walk to your destination:

Personal time of reflection while heading to work. Any takers?

For a busy adult, any free time to meditate, recount your thoughts or catch up on your messages can be valuable. Walking to work is the perfect opportunity to do that.

6. Get a hybrid or electric car:

Hate the idea of public transportation or sharing your space with anyone else? No worries.

You can invest in an electric car to reduce carbon emissions (exhaust fumes) from vehicles that use gas.

There’s also the extra advantage of premium parking spaces and fewer taxes for electric car drivers. 

7. Make your work hours flexible:

Flexible work hours are very similar to working from home. Only that you won’t be working from home completely.

You would still go to work but only when it is necessary.

Many companies allow this option as long as you remain effective and your communication does not decline.

Adjusting your work hours means less stress in commuting. You get to save your energy and money, especially if you live far from your workplace.

Enjoying your commuting daily.

Here’s how you can actually enjoy commuting sustainably:

8. Have a Cup of Coffee on your way:

If I lost a strand of hair every time I left home without having breakfast, I’d be bald already.

Having a cup of coffee on my way keeps me going. So get some coffee on the go for your next trip to work.

Disposable cups are a no-no for the environment. Invest in a reusable cup that collapses after you are done with your drink. 

9. In a Car? Listen to music.

Whether you are in a carpool or driving alone, things get so much more fun with music. Especially in frustrating traffic jams at rush hour, you can block out the frustration with some music. Just hand your song request over to Siri or your google assistant, and they’ll handle the rest for you.

10. Listen to Podcasts.

Podcasts are a great companion on the go, and there is one for almost everything these days.

Missed the game last night?
There’s a sports podcast covering all the details you missed.

Want the latest scoop in the entertainment industry?
There’s a podcast for that as well.

Pick your favorite one and enjoy your ride or walk to work.

11. Email and Social Media time?

During work hours, social media can be a huge distraction and an enemy of productivity. By checking your social media and emails during that long train ride back home, you will both manage your time better and have a less boring time commuting.

Conclusion

We carefully compiled the tips in this sustainable guide to give you as many options as possible. You could choose to stick to one that works best for you or have a little bit of everything from time to time.

Did we miss anything?
Let us know in the comments.