Commuting Hacks To Keep You Ahead

With the average London worker spending around 400 days of their life travelling to and from work, the daily commute can take its toll.  We’ve joined forces with Rachel’s Organic to offer you some handy hacks to help make the most of your daily commute and minimise the stress of the travel!

1.       Make sure your breakfast gives you a healthy start

We all know the importance of the first meal of the day, but it doesn’t always feel like there is time! Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism and sets you up with the energy you need though, so it’s important to make time.  For a delicious, quick-fix breakfast, pick up and enjoy one of our Rachel’s Greek Style Breakfast Pots in both Natural and Honey flavour; they are the perfect boosting breakfast for those on the move. Tuck one away in your handbag for an afternoon top up too

2.       Work your work look

We think it is totally acceptable to fix your make up or hair on the work commute but we will stop at cutting nails and plucking hairs. Sometimes, you just have to fix up when you’re enroute – last minute meetings and rushing to work are just part of the daily grind.  Just be careful when using eye applicators, use your ‘free hand’ to hold steady the elbow of the arm that is applying the mascara or eyeliner, timing the mascara flick in between stops.  Practice makes perfect and it will get easier to manage the train motions. Beware those sat next to you while you are applying blusher, the blush should go on your cheeks and not on your fellow passengers!

3.       Get your priorities straight – list them out!

It can feel like there is never enough time, so prioritising the day will set you up for an organised day, tackling the tasks in hand.  Simple to-do lists can help you plough through their workload at a good pace.  As well as guide you through your busy schedule, you feel more organised breaking the tasks down into manageable tasks slotted into the appropriate times of the day. Additionally, you will actually feel a sense of progress when you tick the action as completed – try it.  We also recommend that you save the ‘fun’ jobs towards the end part of the day so you have something to look forward to

4.       Mind your mindfulness

It may seem like an odd concept to do on a crowded train or bus, but meditation can be done wherever you are comfortable to do it and there are plenty of apps available to assist in this.   We are experiencing more stress and anxiety than ever so keeping your mind healthy is as important as looking after your physical health.

Practicing mindfulness on your way to work can really get you set-up to approach the day with a sense of calm and clarity.  Simple practices such as focusing on deep, paced breathing instead of the transport and traffic noises or focus on the scenery outside the window such as the blue sky.  Small acts like this make a big impact helping to break the spiral of negative and pointless thoughts that lead to stress.  Use headphones to cancel out the travel noise or close your eyes to help you with your focus

5.       Swot up your knowledge

When was the last time you learned something new?  Your commute can be the perfect time to tune into those podcasts on your play or wish list.  There is endless choice from learning a language, catching up on radio shows, enjoying a comedy show and putting a smile on your face or listening to a TedTalk on a topic you are keen or curious about. Just remember to download your podcast before you jump on the tube or train. We recommend downloading a selection for your mood and a variety to time to the length of your journey