The last few years have felt disproportionally hard – so Capsule, powered by our pals at Shark and Ninja, are here to figure out how to make life easier, without breaking the bank, as well as diving deeper into WHY we do what we do, the struggles we all collectively face and all that’s glorious and good about being a strong, confident woman. This edition? Commute hacks that’ll actually help you get to where you need to be happier, healthier and hell, maybe even a bit smarter?
This series is brought to you by Shark and Ninja – click here for our previous installments!
1. Re-frame your commute: think of it as ‘me-time’ (ask yourself do you want to enjoy it, be productive in it, or both?)
Before we even get into any of the practical advice, it’s essential that we actually look at our daily commute in a different way because, until our beloved science dudes invent teleportation (someone’s on that, eh?!) then getting to and from work is a reality we just have to make the most of. Instead of whinging about traffic and time and everything else you can’t control, instead re-frame the time as ‘me-time’. It’s time in your day that no one can get to you unless you allow them to – a blissful bubble where YOU get to decide what your brain can focus on (well, if you’re driving, hopefully that first). Use this time to either be more productive and start your workday on the right foot, or else use it to do something that’s just for you, and that you enjoy. Need some levity in your life? Comedy podcasts! Want to be more organised at work? Daily planning! (Read on for more.)
2. Be organised before you even start your commute
Speaking of starting things off well, don’t head into your commute stressed out about your chaotic morning because it’s only going to get worse if you leave the house in a negative and frazzled mindset. How to help this? Sort your shit out the night before and set yourself up for success:
– Have your lunch packed and ready to go
– Decide on your outfit the night before
– Know the best route to work
– Have a place in your house where all of your out-of-home items live (bags, umbrellas, shoes etc) so you can grab and go
3. Take a smoothie with you because if you’ve done one healthy thing for yourself in the morning, you’ve already won the day
I CANNOT stress how much a morning smoothie has absolutely changed the game for me and my own attempts to get a little healthier (I’m now week four into an eight-week challenge, thanks for asking, and it’s going GREAT and I honestly think my smoothies are the key). Here’s my logic: even the best of us get tempted sometimes by a cheeky wine or little choccy at the end of the day and that’s absolutely fine. But, if you’ve fed your body a ripper of a health tonic in the morning that’s crammed in most of your five-plus-a-day, you’ve already won that day. In the spirit of the previous tip, make up your smoothie the night before (I chuck all of the ingredients into the Ninja Blast Portable Blender and then simply whizz them up when I’m ready to drink them when I’m on the go – a bloody game changer in its own right). I’ll also add here that, although we’re yarning about commutes and health, this portable blender is absolutely legendary at whizzing through ice and is therefore fantastic for taking to the beach to make margaritas, so, you know, get you a thing that does both.
4. Distraction-free time to think, think, think
If there’s a problem I need to solve, or a strategy I need to figure out how to implement, uninterrupted thinking time is essential – but sometimes it’s friggin’ hard to come by, especially in a bustling office or at home where my bed, the pantry and the telly frequently try to tempt me. The commute, on the other hand? Brilliant for sounding out thoughts, ideas and brainstorms in your head. Whether you’re able to write things down (as I’ve said before, the notes app on your phone is the best app ever invented) or, if you’ve driving, using Alexa, Siri, your phone’s voice recorder or other virtual assistant to dictate to, it’s the perfect time to clarify and sift through what’s going on inside your head.
5. Enjoy the sound of silence
Look I don’t want to go down the path of those idiotic people who think it’s fun to raw-dog a 12-hour flight (do they not know that the booze is free!?) but actually stopping and removing as much stimulation and distraction (again, unless you’re driving, please pay attention to the road etc) can be so helpful and freeing. Turn the sound off or pop some noise-cancelling headphones on (Sony have fab noise cancelling ones, trust me, so much better than other ones on the market) and just be alone with your thoughts for a little while and calm that whirring little brain of yours. It’s actually kind of crazy how little silence we get on a daily basis – and it’s actually quite wonderful.
6. Learn something new
Of course, a great way to use time that’s just for you is to broaden your mind and learn something new – if it seems like everyone has a podcast these days it’s because, well, everyone does. BUT, that means there are so many options and there’ll be something for whatever avenue you want to discover more about. My partner is the king of the podcast, and is on a real history buzz at the moment (try Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell or The Rest is History). If you want to stay up-to-date with what the hell is going on in the world, Capsule editorial director Emma (our resident newshound) recommends the following:
– BBC Global News Podcast – want your news on both sides of your commute? This twice-daily podcast will do that for you, delivering 30 minutes at the start and end of the day.
– RNZ The Detail – an NZ lens on the biggest news story of the day.
And if you just want some good commute-sized eclectic poddys, try:
– The Daily (a New York Times podcast about the biggest stories of our time)
– Stuff You Should Know (an oldie but a goodie, it’s literally just a topic that covers all manner of society and culture and topics)
– Pop Culture Happy Hour (what’s happening in the zeitgeist so you know how to talk to the ‘kids’ in the office about Brat summer and being ‘demure’.)
– Shameless (similar to the above – they call it a podcast for smart people who love dumb stuff *raises hand*).
7. Indulge in someone else reading to you
Of course I’m taking audiobooks! A lot of us want to read more but, you know, time – this is a perfect way to finally get to that book you’ve been meaning to pick up. Dive into some epic fiction (it’s never too late to get into the Harry Potter series and yes, if you’re my fiancé and you’re reading this, that was a not-so-subtle hint directed at you, you adorable muggle).
8. Life admin time
Why do life admin during your free time when, surely, your hands are full of wine, chips and nuggets? If you can use your phone, use this time to tick off the niggly stuff – pay the bills, write the to-do lists, reply to emails, check in on the kids’ school needs. If you’re driving, use your voice assistants to write down to-do lists for later, so at least that’s done!
9. Emma’s dad’s email scheduling hack
When I asked the Capsule office if anyone had any tips for this story, Emma was quick to volunteer a hack from her dad that he swears by – replying to emails on the ferry commute home so they’re done and off the to-do list, but replying via scheduling them to send out at 8am the next morning. That way the task is done and you don’t have to think about it anymore, but you also don’t have to do with the annoying replies during your evening. Better living, indeed!
10. Affirmations, manifestations and gratitude
We had to chuck a bit of woo-woo in there somewhere and if it’s not your thing, congrats, you’ve finished the article! But your commute is, like we’ve said, your time to be alone with your thoughts, so it’s a great time to check in on whatever manifestations or affirmations you’re working on right now, and also have a think about what you’re grateful for today. Even if it’s just the fact that it’s sunny, you remembered your smoothie out of the fridge and you have two of the same shoes on your feet (yes ok I had a getting-dressed-in-the-dark disaster last week) then hell, you’re winning!