Remote working has been present in the professional world for decades. However, it is only in the past several years or so that we’ve seen a rise in remote working. According to a study, before the global pandemic, only 26% of working South Africans had the flexibility to work from home, a number which increased to 79% after the lockdown.
Despite the popularity of hybrid work, many South African professionals still commute backwards and forwards from their homes to their offices. With the average commute time being in-between fifteen to fifty-five minutes, this adds up to a lot of wasted time per week that could be better spent than sitting in a bus, car, train, or plane.
However, your commute doesn’t have to be a bore. There are many ways to pass the time while traveling the morning and evening commute. From playing online games to listening to audiobooks, there are many ways that you can make the most out of your commute time. Below we list some of the best ways to pass the time while traveling to work.
Play Online Games
One fun way to pass the time while traveling to work is by playing online games on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Gaming has always been a popular pastime among adults and children alike. Still, it has experienced considerable growth in popularity with the advances in technology which have enabled better game-playing and greater accessibility.
Thanks to the internet’s ever-increasing range, you can find many online games to populate your free time between leaving your home and arriving at the office. Some of the most popular gaming genres include simulation, puzzle, strategy, role-playing, arcade, and many more, which can be played using mobile applications, web gaming portals, and other websites.
The casino is another popular gaming genre which enables players to play traditional (and modern) casino games like blackjack, slots, poker, roulette and much more with the click of a button. If you consider yourself a casino fan, check out online casinos like PlayLive and see if any games catch your eye.
Online casinos like PlayLive offer a wide variety of games that can be played on the go, which is perfect for occupying your time while commuting. So, next time you find yourself bored on your way to work, consider loading up their site and playing some of their many online casino games, reading their how-to guides, and watching how the time flies!
Crank Up The Tunes
Whatever your chosen transport method, the benefits of cranking up the tunes during your morning or evening commute are vast. Research has proven that music has a powerful influence on human beings, from helping to reduce mental health disorders like depression and anxiety to improving our overall mood and mental alertness.
Sitting next to someone you’d rather not talk to on the train? Sitting in your car surrounded by unmoving mind-numbing traffic? Or, stood butt-to-butt with strangers on the bus and want to make the atmosphere less awkward? Pull out your headphones, put your playlist on shuffle, and let your tunes take care of the rest.
Whether you’re still jamming to the same playlist you’ve had for years or have created a new one, listening to your music during your work commute can make the time pass quicker and puts you in a more positive mood for when you arrive at the office. Plus, it gives you something to look forward to each time you step out the door!
Listen To An Audiobook
If you’re an avid reader, you may have those moments where you wish you had more time to curl up on the couch with a book in hand. Yet by the time you’re done with work and other daily commitments, you can be hard-pressed to find the time (or the motivation) to reach for a book, which is where audiobooks can come in handy.
Like turning the pages of a book, you’ll be surprised to find just how quickly you can be swept into the world of an audiobook, regardless of whether you’re packed in like sardines on your local bus or sitting in the business class section of a plane. Using subscription sites or mobile applications, you can find a library of audiobooks just waiting for you to start listening to during your morning or evening commute.
From spine-chilling thrillers to heart-warming family classics, you can find a range of audiobooks to listen to in traffic or wherever else your work commute might take you! Plus, if you want to take your interest in audiobooks further, you could round up your friends, family, and co-workers and form a reading club where you can share recommendations, discuss books you’re currently listening to, and much more.
