Commutes to work, especially ones in urban environments and involving public transportation, take up a lot of mental energy. Between the rush hour crowds and the high stress of timeliness, heading into the office comes with a lot of anxieties. Here’s how to stay comfortable during your commute to make sure you show up to work calm, collected, and ready for success.
Pack for Preparation
Most anxieties stem from the fear of the unknown and uncontrollable. Although it’s impossible to gain full reign over everything, there are ways to ease the effects of the deviances that are out of your control. Stay prepared for anything on your commute with some essentials to keep in your work bag.
With the right tools on hand—such as a spare change of clothes, chargers, or mini emergency kits—there are various ways to combat any commuting mishaps. The more prepared you are, the less stressful impending situations become, reducing anxieties.
Familiarize Yourself With the Route
Familiarity gives you clarity, minimizing fears of the unknown and subsequential uneasiness. After conquering the first-time jitters, making a strange experience into a familiar one enhances your comfort level.
Study the map, find a set path and transportation means that work for you, take in your surroundings, and check out some of the local businesses along the way. Get to know your commute route better to build familiarity with the journey and feel more comfortable.
Carry Comfort Items
Everyone’s relationship with their mental health varies. Certain calming tactics work for some and not for others. Knowing what helps you when you’re anxious and carrying those tools with you on your commute allows you to serve yourself best when panic kicks in.
Popular comfort items include hot cups of tea, fidget toys, music, aromatherapy oils, and a favorite article of clothing. Everyone has their own go-to thing that makes them feel safe and secure. Find your comfort item and carry it with you to work.
Practice Grounding Methods
Our minds like to wonder and create. Sometimes they let negative thoughts take control and curate unsettling “what ifs.” Practice grounding techniques while commuting to stay in the present and reduce the anxious imagination.
Although listening to your intuition and acknowledging your anxieties is good, too much of it quickly becomes overbearing. Staying grounded in the present gives you more control and allows you to switch to a more beneficial mindset. Plus, it’ll ensure you show up to work sharp-minded and ready without feeling drained from the journey. On your commute, ground yourself by listening to music, counting objects in your surroundings, interacting with a tactile object, or doing deep, meditative breathing.
A successful commute into the office ensures you show up with enough energy to work productively and perform well. An anxiety-ridden ride drains you mentally, leaving you feeling exhausted well before the workday even begins. Stay comfortable during your commute with these four tips and get to work with a fortified mind and enough energy to conquer your to-do list.