Image from Unsplash, by @josephbobadilla
One of the major considerations when planning a move to the country is the way in which your commute will impact upon your work/life balance. The train stations around the Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire borders offer an undeniably straightforward journey to London, but no one is ever going to tell you their journey to and from work is the best part of their day!
We’ve come up with our favourite tips for keeping your commute as pain-free and productive as possible.
· Pick your spot. Get your name on the list for a station parking space as quickly as possible. However, with a waiting list of up to 9 years you’re going to have to work out a plan for what to do in the meantime. Find a safe, considerate and reliable space to leave your car and you won’t waste valuable time cruising around looking for a space every morning.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
· Make a back up plan. Ensure you know what you’ll do in case of that inevitable delay. Whether it’s a different route to work or back, an alternative means of transport or a hypothetical plan of who can pick up the children from day care, have the plans in place. Keep a topped up booster charger in your bag so a dead phone won’t mean you can’t put plans into action.
· All of a Twitter. Social media can be a huge help when it comes to hearing about traffic and transport problems. You can follow your train service’s account and search for tweets about your area or even specific line or road hashtags to get a heads up. You’d be surprised how many people take to Twitter to complain about jams and delays.
· Whether you travel by train or by car, the journey can seem like dead time – a holding period before your day can properly begin or end. Like emptying the dishwasher while waiting for the kettle to boil, use this time to do something productive. This is a good time to get your planning done. Set your goals for the day, list the chores you need to do at the weekend, research your holiday arrangements or make personal emails or calls.
· We never seem to find the time to read anymore, but a train journey is the perfect excuse to work your way through that pile on your bedside table. Download onto an e-reader or listen to audiobooks. Find a really great book and you’ll find yourself looking forward to the next instalment so much you won’t mind the journey home!
Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash
Photo by Will Tarpey on Unsplash
· Write the next Harry Potter… J.K. Rowling famously thought up her boy wizard during a train journey and Fiona Mozley, wrote her Booker prize nominated novel ‘Elmet’ on her smartphone while travelling to and from work. So, come on, get that bestseller underway!
· Clear your mind. Meditation and mindfulness are enormously effective ways of remedying the stress of the commute and working life. We love the Headspace app, which is easy to engage with even on a busy train carriage. It’s a subscription service which enables you to meditate and find your peace even while the transport network crumbles around you.
Do let us know in the comments below how you go about making your commute bearable.