With an increasing number of people in the UK splitting their time between working from home and the office there’s a gradual increase in the number of people commuting.
We’ve pulled together some handy tips to help make your journeys to and from work a bit easier.
Route planning
How do you get to work? That’s the most important question to answer as part of your commute. Do you drive, get the train, take a bus? You need to think about the best and most cost-effective, route for you. Driving might get you closer, but you might have to pay for parking and deal with traffic. A bus might be cheaper but leave you with more of a walk (not ideal in bad weather) and still leave you open to traffic problems. You might be too far from work to walk or cycle and trains could be hit by delays or other issues.
Think about how often you need to go into the office, how much you need to take with you and anything you have to do after work. Are you going straight home? Public transport might be the right option, if you’re going shopping, or need to go somewhere else first, then taking the car might be the smart choice.
Alternative plans
Knowing how you want to get to work is fine, but it helps to have a plan B. If there’s roadworks, industrial action, an accident, bad weather, whatever the reason, a sudden delay can make commuting a pain in the neck. If you already have an alternative means of getting to work planned, then it makes life easier and removes some of the stress from knowing there’s a problem on your normal route.
Leaving time
Nobody wants to be late, so you should give yourself plenty of time to make your commute. Ideally more time than you need. This helps to accommodate delays and changes to your plan. If you get to the office early it’s a chance to get settled, grab a coffee, and get set up for the day, as opposed to arriving in a rush because you set off at the last possible minute.
Greener options
We all want to do our bit for the planet where we can. There are ways to make your commute greener, cycling or using an EV is a great way to do this, but what if you’re driving a petrol car? Sat Navs and tools like Google Maps are starting to roll out features that let you plot more fuel efficient and greener routes. When you’re looking at your commute it might be worth checking if this is a better way of getting to work.
Distractions
Being sat in a car in silence, or on a train surrounded by dozens of people on phones and chatting is awful if you’re on your own. Podcasts, playlists, and audiobooks are fantastic ways to break the silence or block out the noise around you so you can commute in some degree of peace. Just remember to check for your headphones when you make sure you have everything else before you leave the house.
A time to focus and decompress
The commute can be an ideal time to set yourself up for the rest of the day. On the way to work it’s a time to take stock, think about what you need to get done that day and get in the right mindset for work. While coming home is a chance to decompress, stop thinking about the random email that annoyed you, or the colleague that put the empty pint of milk back in the fridge. It’s a perfect time to destress so you can rest and relax properly when you get home.
For more tips, tricks, and tools to make your journeys easier keep up to date with all things Evology Parking on our website or follow us on LinkedIn.
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