How to Make the Best of Your Long, Daily Commute

It finally feels like winter in Chicago. Last weekend, we had both rain and snow (it even thundered!), and my car. Along with most things in the city, was covered with a sheet of ice. The snow persisted, and by mid-week, we were reaching six to seven inches of snow. The winter is here folks! And with it, the increasingly painful commute to and from work.

You may think that I am crazy for commuting nearly three hours each day (that accounts for both ways). But I am not alone in this. And sitting in a car for that long each day of the week gets exhausting. So how can you make the best out of the long commute? Here are some suggestions that make my commute easier and less stressful each day.

Music in the morning. Try to avoid listening to the talk-radio in the AM if you have to sit in a long commute. If you are anything like me, you will start getting involved in a conversation or an interview on the radio. If the subject is one you are passionate about or strongly disagree with, this can easily set your mood for the rest of the day. To start your day off right, and relieve some of the stress of the commute, tune in the music that energizes you.

Two word - audio books. One of the biggest complaints of busy people is the fact that they do not have any "me" time. What would you do if you had some time to yourself? Well, technically, the commute time can be your "me" time, and you can use it to catch up on your reading. Take advantage of the audio books. Enjoying your favorite genre is a great way to de-stress while enduring a long commute. Wondering if this is a costly option? Not really. While you can purchase audio books online (through places like iTunes), you can also rent the audio books at your local library or through various Netflix-like online services such as Simply Audio Books.

Get the business calls out of the way before you get home. Of course, I encourage you to drive safely, so find a hands-free way to gab on your phone. Your drive home is the perfect time to catch up on missed calls and tie up loose ends at work. This way, you can leave work where it belongs - outside of your home.

Catch up with friends and family. You can also choose to leave your work at work, and use your commute time to catch up with friends or family (again, be a safe driver please). Most of my friends also sit in hours of traffic each day. This is the perfect time to catch up with folks you love, see how their lives are going as well as share with them any news you may have. Having an enjoyable conversation can certainly put you in a good mood, and either kick off or end your day on a positive note.

Try not to stress about the driving too much. Remind yourself that having a job to go to in the morning beats having to look for one. So pop in a CD of your favorite tunes or a novel, and enjoy the ride.