6 ways to reinvent your life as a commuter

Let’s face it, nobody likes monotony. But your daily commute doesn’t have to suck the life out of you, because you have the power to change it. Do you really want to be sitting in traffic, all before your workday even begins?

We didn’t think so.

It’s estimated that Vancouver will see one million people arrive by 2040, bringing another 700,000 cars with them. Imagine how bad traffic, congestion, and the demand for parking will be then. It’s already bad. This is why we need to consider ditching the car or leaving it at home.

You can reinvent your life as a commuter with a couple of small changes, and who knows, your attitude toward the entire day might take a more positive shift, too. Here are six easy approaches to try.

Leave the car at home

This is the first step to reinventing your life as a commuter. There’s no need to burn fuel while you’re sitting in traffic when you can take transit to and from work instead. Leaving your car at home means you’ll be promoting a greener Vancouver, and you’ll have time do some fun things that you can’t do while driving along the highway.

Transit to work, Modo when you’re there

Image: Modo

Okay, so you’ve avoided bumper-to-bumper traffic by taking transit to work. Now what? You remember that you have to go to IKEA to pick up a shelving unit, collect your boss at the airport, or need to dash back home because you forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Don’t stress, because you can book a Modo. Reserve one of Modo’s 700 cars, SUVs, cargo vans, or premium vehicles in advance, or on the spot.

Since Modo started the carshare revolution back in 1997, there’s only ever been one way to book — by specifying your end time in advance. But for many of us, it’s hard to know how long the blind date will last, or how much time it’ll take at the mall. Good thing the carshare service has reinvented things with their new Open Return option — giving you ultimate convenience. This means you don’t need to know how long you’ll need the car when you book it. It’s yours for up to 24 hours, and when you’re done, simply end the trip and only pay for the time you used.

Even better, Modo’s Open Return option costs less than a latte at just $3. Say goodbye to rushing back or padding your booking with extra time, and join Modo today. Bonus: New members can use the promo code HIVE50 to get $50 in free drive time.

Meditate

You don’t need to be sitting in a yoga class to meditate and practice mindfulness because technology gives you the power to meditate whenever you like. Meditating on the train or the bus can help you feel more relaxed and less anxious, quite the opposite of scrolling through your Instagram feed. Apps such as Headspace and Calm can help you meditate, even just for 10 minutes.

Listen to a podcast

Listening to music/Shutterstock

Tuning in to a podcast can help stimulate your mind before you reach the office, or when you leave. Whether listening to Joe Rogan talk about life issues is your jam, discovering the rich history behind your favourite genre of music, why relationships work as they do, how to travel on a budget, or if listening to interviews with movie stars is your thing, you’ll find a podcast covering it.

If less talking and more music is your thing, make some playlists that you can listen to during your commute. A 2017 study by Plos One revealed that listening to happy music facilitates divergent thinking and can make you more creative, so this can only benefit you in positive ways.

Call your favourite people

We’re all guilty of telling ourselves that we’ll call our loved ones in the evening after work, then life happens and you say you’ll call the next day. Instead of letting time pass you by, call your best friend or family member in the morning on your way to work. This is a mood-booster that will make your commute go by a lot faster. If you forget, set a reminder for yourself.

Read a book

Burst/Pexels

Want to spend more time reading? Whether your commute is 20 or 90 minutes, this gives you some free time to start reading the books on your list. You’ll be surprised by how much reading you get done in a day. Plus, you’ll be learning along the way, and that is always a major plus.

If you’re looking for ways to spice up your commute, leave your car at home and be part of the real sharing economy. Signing up for a membership with Modo could be the best thing you do in 2019.