Is your daily commute killing you?
I don’t want to sound dramatic, but stress has been linked to all sorts of health problems, physical and mental. I recently came to the realization that a significant source of stress in my life is my daily commute.
For the last ten years or so, I’ve been spending roughly 2 hours per day, Monday through Friday, sitting in traffic. I’ve managed to turn an awful, boring, stressful activity into an opportunity for brainstorming and self-improvement (through podcasts on writing & publishing).
You know what? That daily drive is still stressful.
This week, I did something about it. No, I didn’t quit my job (yet). I started riding the bus. Austin has these great commuter buses that go to/from the ‘burbs. They’re more like riding a Greyhound than a city bus. It’s reasonably comfy and not as crowded as the train tends to get during rush hour.
Now I have an hour in the morning and afternoon to look forward to instead of dread. I can still listen to podcasts. I can still brainstorm. Heck, I could even write if I want to get ahead. I’ve taken these two hours of my life back, and said goodbye to all that stress.
I may not live significantly longer as a result of this small change, but I’m going to be a whole lot happier.
I challenge you to pick one thing that stresses you out and try to figure out a way to alleviate it.