Many of us spend time each day travelling to and fro, from home to work and back again. This time doesn’t have to be dreaded or wasted. Follow Breathe’s tips to improve your daily commute.
1. Go for a walk around the place where you live or the area where you work. Take a map with you if you’re worried about getting lost.
2. Plug yourself in to a soothing piece of classical music, or voice-blocking white noise.
3. If safe to do so, close your eyes. Take a few deep, calming breaths.
4. If there’s a view from your window, search out a flash of beauty, or a moment of interest – a passer-by, the detail of a building, a piece of nature.
5. If you don’t have a view, access a positive or calming thought or memory. Remembering a pleasant experience gives your body the same message as if you’re actually having that experience. Even repeating the word ‘breathe’ to yourself will send a message to your brain to do just that.
6. Flood yourself with positive feelings. Heighten colours, emotion and pleasure. Strengthen those neural connections between the experience and the journey itself.
- Words: Stephanie Lam
- Illustration: shutterstock.com
- Article extract from issue 9 of Breathe – order digital edition here