5 Ways to Make Your Long Commute More Enjoyable

In a recent post, we used an interactive map to illustrate average commute times for Minnesota counties. What we discovered, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that citizens in counties comprising the Twin Cities metro have significantly longer commute times than Minnesota’s rural residents. Here, we know how frustrating it is to be late to a meeting because of an accident, or to spend an hour trying to get home because rush hour all but stopped traffic.

For those of you who struggle through long, exhausting drives to and from work each day, we thought we’d share some of our favorite ways to make commuting more enjoyable.

1. Find a great audiobook.

Whether you’re interested in learning about a professional development topic, getting absorbed in a suspenseful murder mystery, or being wooed by a romantic novel, listening to a book is a great way to spend driving time. Many public libraries, including Hennepin County Library, have online audiobook lending systems that let you use your member number to download audiobooks for free. If you’re looking for a wider selection and don’t mind a modest fee, Amazon’s audible.com has numerous audiobooks from all genres including books read by famous actors, politicians, and other notable figures. Sometimes the captivating performances of the readers makes listening to books even more exciting than reading them on paper.

2. Don’t drive alone – join a carpool.

Sometimes riding with another person or two makes all the difference on your daily drive. As a bonus, many highways around the Twin Cities have carpool lanes that allow you to speed past heavy traffic if you have two or more passengers in your car. Here, Twin Cities Metro Transit provides a list of tips and best practices for establishing a safe, successful carpool group.

3. Listen to a popular podcast.

Podcasts are all the rage these days! If you’ve gotten bored with your usual radio programming, podcasts can be great for daily commutes and road trips alike. Start by downloading a podcast app for your phone (when you’re not driving). Most will display the most popular podcasts, so you can choose which to download. You can also find podcasts on various websites, so if you don’t want to download an app, simply Google podcasts and see what you can find. If you’re looking for something to start out with, check out the Serial podcast, an extremely popular series of short episodes put together by producers of NPR’s “This American Life.” It’s kind of a 1940s mystery radio show meets Dateline meets Public Radio – you can read more about it here.

4. Listen to stand-up comedy.

Did you know Spotify has albums and playlists of numerous stand-up comedians? Listen to short, song-sized clips of comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Aziz Ansari, Louis C. K., Robin Williams, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, Kevin Hart, Hannibal Buress, John Mulaney, and Flight of the Conchords. Find albums from specific comedians or listen to one of Spotify’s many comedy playlists if you’re interested in a variety of routines and maybe even discovering your new favorite joker.

5. Make a commute playlist and jam out.

Everyone loves jamming out to their favorite tunes while driving, so why not create a playlist specifically for your commute? Whether you love to belt songs at the top of your lungs or intimidate other drivers with your rad dance moves, listening to your commute playlist is one of the best ways to relieve stress from a full day of work, or to pump yourself up for a productive work day.

Basically, strive to make your commute as awesome as this guy’s: