1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to try commuting with a friend, thus 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: turning commuting time into relationship building time at least once 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: in a while. Few people enjoy their commutes. They tend 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: to be a necessary part of getting to work, but 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: studies of human happiness find that the morning commute is 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: the lowest moment of people's days. The evening commute isn't 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: quite so bad because you arrive home afterwards, but the 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: morning commute has no such redeeming features. To deal with 11 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: this misery, we listen to podcasts and such to make 12 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: the time go faster. But here's another option. Consider commuting 13 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: with a friend, a colleague, or your spouse on occasion. 14 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: This can turn a low point of the day into 15 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: one of the day's highlights. First, I'll say that I 16 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: know a lot of people already socialized during their commutes 17 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: because they're on the phone. People send me the tip 18 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: all the time to call relatives during a commute, but 19 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: the truth is that dialing and talking can be quite distracting. 20 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: I try not to do phone calls while driving, and 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: I'd encourage you not to either. But having another adult 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,639 Speaker 1: in the car isn't nearly as distracting because that person 23 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: can see when you've encountered a tense situation. When break 24 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: lights come on suddenly, the other person in the car 25 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: gets quiet. But all the other good parts of socializing 26 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: are there. You can catch up and keep each other entertained. 27 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,119 Speaker 1: Many people say that they don't spend enough one on 28 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: one time with their spouses or their friends. By sharing 29 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: a ride, you find time for fun during something you 30 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: had to do anyway. It seems straightforward enough, but every 31 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: year or so I get sent transportation surveys finding that 32 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: very few people car pool regularly, even with h OV 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: lanes adding an incentive. I think there are a few 34 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: reasons for this. We like to leave when we want 35 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: to leave. We don't like to think about our drives 36 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: ahead of time. If commutes are unpleasant, we don't want 37 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: to go out of our way, even if it would 38 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: make the whole experience much better. There are also some 39 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: funny psychological issues going on. Even if we always go 40 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: straight home from work. Maybe we like to entertain the 41 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: fantasy that today is the day we'll take off for 42 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: Atlantic City. Instead, and of course you can't do that 43 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: if the car pool is waiting for you, so we 44 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: waste time and money holding onto the fantasy. In any case, 45 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: there's some value to flexibility, so you probably don't want 46 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: to do this every single day, but if you feel 47 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: like you never see your spouse, it could definitely be 48 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: worth driving ten to fifteen minutes out of your way 49 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: one day a week so you can share the ride 50 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: both ways on that day. Or maybe you have a 51 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: friend who lives ten minutes from you and works ten 52 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 1: minutes from you again, and it's sort of a twenty 53 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: minute time cost on both ends, but not really, because 54 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: the extra time will feel enough better than the time 55 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: you were spending that you'll probably be happy about it. 56 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 1: Work friends, of course, have the upside of being located 57 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: much closer to you on one end of the commute. 58 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: It might be wise to treat this as a strategic 59 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: career boosting time. Find someone you think is a real 60 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: go getter, and the two of you can strategize how 61 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: you'll conquer the world when you share a ride one 62 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: day a week and no one else will be around 63 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: to hear your plotting. Have you ever turned your commute 64 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: into social time. If so, please let me know. You 65 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: can email me at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media 66 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for 67 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: listening and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 68 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 69 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 70 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. 71 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: That's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 72 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 73 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com. That Before Breakfast 74 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 75 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 76 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from 77 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 78 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.