1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: tip is to try commuting with a friend, thus turning 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 1: commuting time into relationship building time at least once in 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: a while. Few people enjoy their commutes. They tend to 6 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: be a necessary part of getting to work, but studies 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: of human happiness find that the morning commute is the 8 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: lowest moment of people's days. The evening commute isn't quite 9 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: so bad because you arrive home afterwards, but the morning 10 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,040 Speaker 1: commute has no such redeeming features. To deal with this misery, 11 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: we listen to podcasts and such to make the time 12 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: go faster. But here's another option. Consider commuting with a friend, 13 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: a colleague, or your spouse on occasion. This can turn 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: a low point of the day into one of the 15 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: day's highlights. First, I'll say that I know a lot 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: of people already socialized during their commutes because they're on 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: the phone. People send me the tip all the time 18 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: to call relatives during a commute, but the truth is 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 1: that dialing and talking can be quite distracting. I try 20 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 1: not to do phone calls while driving, and I'd encourage 21 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: you not to either. But having another adult in the 22 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: car isn't nearly as distracting because that person can see 23 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: when you've encountered a tense situation. When break lights come 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: on suddenly, the other person in the car gets quiet. 25 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: But all the other good parts of socializing are there. 26 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: You can catch up and keep each other entertained. Many 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: people say that they don't spend enough one on one 28 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: time with their spouses or their friends. By sharing a ride, 29 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: you find time for fun during something you had to 30 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: do anyway. It seems straightforward enough, but every year or 31 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: so I get sent transportation surveys finding that very few 32 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: people carpool regularly, even with HOV lanes adding an incentive. 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: I think there are a few reasons for this. We 34 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: like to leave when we want to leave. We don't 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: like to think about our drives ahead of time. If 36 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: commutes are unpleasant, we don't want to go out of 37 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: our way, even if it would make the whole experience 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: much better. There are also some funny psychological issues going on. 39 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: Even if we always go straight home from work. Maybe 40 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 1: we like to entertain the fantasy that today is the 41 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: day we'll take off for Atlantic City. Instead, and of 42 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: course you can't do that if the carpool is waiting 43 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: for you, so we waste time and money holding onto 44 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: the fantasy. In any case, there's some value to flexibility, 45 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: so you probably don't want to do this every single day, 46 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: but if you feel like you never see your spouse, 47 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: it could definitely be worth driving ten to fifteen minutes 48 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: out of your way one day a week so you 49 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: can share the ride both ways on that day. Or 50 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: maybe you have a friend who lives ten minutes from 51 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: you and works ten minutes from you, and it's sort 52 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: of a twenty minute time cost on both ends, but 53 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: not really, because the extra time will feel enough better 54 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: than the time you were spending that you'll probably be 55 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: happy about it. Work friends, of course, have the upside 56 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: of being located much closer to you on one end 57 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: of the commute. It might be wise to treat this 58 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: as a strategic career boosting time. Find someone you think 59 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: is a real go getter, and the two of you 60 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: can strategize how you'll conquer the world when you share 61 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: a ride one day a week and no one else 62 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: will be around to hear your plotting. Have you ever 63 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: turned your commute into social time. If so, please let 64 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: me know. You can email me at Before Breakfast podcast 65 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: at iHeartMedia dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. 66 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of 67 00:03:52,280 --> 00:04:01,559 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 68 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 69 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 70 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then 71 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me an email at 72 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. That Before Breakfast 73 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. 74 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: Should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 75 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 76 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 77 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.