Time spent on the train, waiting for the bus, walking to the station โ it all adds up to a surprising amount of your day.
Here are some ideas for making that time feel more worthwhile than just mindlessly scrolling through your phone.
Things to Do on Your Commute with Your Phone
Listen to podcasts Podcasts are one of the most rewarding ways to spend free time during a commute. Once you find one that matches your taste โ educational, entertaining, conversational โ you might actually start looking forward to getting on the train.
Recommendations: Cotenradio (history), Yuru Linguistics Radio (language)
Read on Kindle With the Kindle app on your phone, you don't have to carry a physical book. Manga in vertical scroll format and short story collections are perfect for the length of a typical commute.
Learn a language Apps like Duolingo and NHK's language-learning apps are designed for short, bite-sized sessions โ ideal for transit time. A little bit every day adds up, and after six months you might be surprised how far you've come.
Read the news or save articles for later Apps like SmartNews or Antenna make it easy to stay on top of current events. Saving articles with a "read later" service like Pocket and clearing your backlog during your commute is a surprisingly efficient habit.
Ways to Spend Your Commute Without Your Phone
Watch the scenery or people-watch Look out the window. Observe the people around you โ within reason, of course. For observant types, this can be the highlight of the commute.
Think things through Mentally run through your to-do list, work out a problem you've been turning over in your mind, or just let your imagination wander. Being in transit somehow makes it easier for ideas to surface.
Listen to music Simply listening to your favorite music while you travel can raise the overall quality of your commute. Try making a "commute-only playlist" that you reserve just for these moments โ it adds a little something special.
Things to Do When Walking or Cycling
Podcasts or audiobooks You only need your ears, so listening while walking or cycling is a natural fit.
Try a different route Take a road you don't usually walk. You might find a shop, a view, or a path you never knew existed. Great for the explorer type.
Take photos Get into the habit of snapping photos of things that catch your eye as you walk. Your commute becomes a kind of visual journey.
What Your Commute Time Adds Up To
If your one-way commute is 30 minutes, that's one hour a day โ roughly 20 hours a month just traveling back and forth on weekdays.
Put that time to use, and here's what's possible:
- Podcasts: about 40 episodes per month
- Reading: 2โ3 books per month
- Language learning: beginner to intermediate level within a year
Whether you see commute time as wasted time or as your own personal time, the difference in what accumulates over months and years is enormous.
You don't need to be perfectly focused during your commute. There's no pressure to maximize every second โ just find something comfortable, and enjoy the ride.