Have you ever thought about how much time you spend driving every day? Whether it’s for work or running errands, I’d be willing to bet you spend a couple hours in your car each week.
For most of us, this time is usually spent listening to music or the latest true crime podcast. Even though I’m absolutely guilty of this, I still feel that it’s not a very productive use of our time. That’s not to say every moment of our day needs to be productive, but I think our commute time is the perfect opportunity to start learning things we’ve been putting off for far too long.
Of course, if you can’t do any of these things safely and undistracted, then please refrain from doing it. Your safety is top priority.
With all that being said, here’s 3 simple things you can replace music with, that I believe can start benefiting your life:
1. Something New and Informative
I’m sure there’s something you’ve been wanting to start learning about for a very long time. With the internet at our fingertips, this has never been easier. Whatever you’re interested in, there’s a high likelihood that there’s going to be some combination of audiobooks, podcasts, or courses available for you to start learning from.
Many of us are used to listening to podcasts anyway, so this may be as easy as trying out a new podcast related to the topic you’re interested in. There’s hours of content out there for pretty much any topic that you can think of, so it should be pretty easy to find.
A common goal for many people is learning a new language. This is such a popular goal, that it’s incredibly easy to find those audiobooks, podcasts, or audio courses that you can start listening to every day. It doesn’t have to be limited to new languages though, this can be the perfect time to start learning about new business ventures, fitness, religion, personal development, etc.
Even if your daily commute is relatively short, don’t underestimate how much your time can compound over the long run. The 100 hour rule means you can get a pretty solid foundation of knowledge built even within a year; the basic idea is if you dedicate 100 hours in a year at any discipline, you’ll be better than 95% of the world at that thing. This comes out to only 16-17 minutes every day in order to reach 100 hours within one year.
Think about how much information you can gather with an extra 100 hours of learning time each year. The information is already out there, so why not take advantage of learning it. You never know if your new knowledge can start to change your life for the better.
2. Checking In On Family And Friends
It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the chaos of our day to day lives. We all have a lot going on, so it’s not uncommon to have some of the people we truly care about start falling to the wayside. It may not be intentional, but sometimes we’re so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget to check in on those we love.
For me, I’m often thinking of my family and friends, but I’m not always great about staying in contact. I need to be better about finding opportunities to call and stay engaged in others’ lives as well. I think the effort is what matters most here though; by this I mean that, for many, just seeing that you attempted to reach out is such a reassurance that you’re thinking of them.
It seems that many people don’t get these check in calls anymore, so they can mean a lot. I don’t ever see the harm in letting loved ones know that you miss and love them. You never know when you’ll get the opportunity to tell them again, so take advantage of the time that you can.
This isn’t legal advice, but of course check your local laws to make sure you can legally make a safe, hands-free call while driving. I’m not advocating for talking on the phone while driving, but if you are able to do it in a safe, undistracted, and legal manner, then I think your commute time can be a great chance to speak with those you’ve started to lose contact with over time. As always, please prioritize your safety.
3. Doing Nothing
This may seem counterintuitive, but hear me out. If you’re someone that struggles with feeling overstimulated all day, then maybe it can be beneficial for you to give your brain a chance to calm down a little. Thinking of it like a dopamine detox, you might just need to stop bombarding your brain with so much stimuli in your day. Of course this is the most boring option, but sometimes less is more.
Removing any distractions while driving is always ideal, so cutting out music also gives you the chance to give your full attention to the driving you’re doing. I think there’s a helpful skill to learn from this too: when you’re not distracted, you start to learn how to become fully enveloped in the task that’s ahead of you. This can be expanded to other parts of your life, and hopefully something as simple as cutting out music can teach you to be more present and live in the moment.
Maybe I’m reaching on some of these concepts, but I’ve at least found satisfaction from sitting in the silence sometimes. I started to notice the sounds of the outside world that I’ve tuned out for so long. Maybe there’s no intrinsic benefit in that either, but there was some sense of enjoyment for me, because I loved the fact that I was starting to pay attention to things I never did before. It had been such a long time since I paid attention to the birds outside or the sound of cars passing by. At least for me, there’s a sense of peace that comes from being more in tune with the world around me.
If you’re struggling with feeling overstimulated throughout your day, then you can check out my last post here that goes over my tips for simple ways to stop feeling so overstimulated.
Conclusion:
I think it’s important to clarify that this isn’t about cutting out music altogether from your life. There isn’t anything wrong with listening to music, I just feel that sometimes it might be a wasted opportunity, when it could easily be replaced with other things that benefit you as well. Whether it’s learning something new, working on your mental health, or staying in touch with those important to you, I think there’s plenty of options out there for you to consider. Music’s always going to be there when you’re working out, relaxing, or doing work, so why not try to make something of your time when you’re usually just mindlessly driving?