Sitting in traffic is often boring and soul-sucking. It doesn’t need to be, though. In fact, the time you spend in traffic can be used to learn new things that help you advance various aspects of your life. Here’s a few things you can do during that sometimes, unavoidable wait in traffic.
Listen to Podcasts and Audiobooks
Thanks to streaming services and a range of audiobook hosting services, it’s possible to absorb information by listening. You can find podcasts that help you get better at a hobby or learn new ways of getting better at your profession. You can take your phone out and search for a podcast that’s aligned to something you do or would like to start doing. For example, if you want to listen to something about easy recipes for dinner when you get home, you can type that into Google along with the word “podcast.” That way, by the time you get home, you’ll know how to prepare a new meal. The same goes for any activity you want to learn about. More specific and in-depth knowledge can be gained through audiobooks. You can listen to some about productive topics such as good spending habits or effective time management. If you want something lighter, you can opt for a novel or storybook.
Plan Your Schedule
Sitting in traffic can be a good way to reorganize your to-do list. You can take out your phone or notepad and plan what you want to do the following day or the following week. This can give you the chance to realize how best you can fit a variety of things into your routine as well as you to prioritize. You’ll get a better idea of the most important things you should do and what should come first.
Call a Friend
It’s always good to catch up with friends to keep relationships alive. Sometimes, however, you can feel like your busy schedule is preventing you from doing that. Traffic jams are a great opportunity to give a friend or two a call and have a chat. If you want to make a more work-oriented call, you can phone a colleague to ask about how a particular project is going. Students can use this time to call a classmate and ask for advice on a particular assignment that might be troubling them. This can easily result in gaining a new perspective on things that can lead to more progress being made.
Catch Up on the News
Catching up with the news is a highly productive thing to do while stuck in traffic. You can learn more about what’s going on in your area, events that are coming up or opportunities that are arising that you’re a good fit for. It can easily be done by switching on the radio and shuffling between stations. Traffic can be massively annoying. However, there’s no shortage of things you can do to transform it into a productive time that helps you learn more and advance various areas of your life.