100 Ways to Reclaim Your Commute

I commute to the office three days a week and typically spend 45-60 minutes each way, via bus or train. I’ve found ways to make it as palatable as possible, but it’s still a consistent chore. When my bus route was recently detoured widely around major construction, which is expected to last until December 2026, I felt like I’d hit a wall in my urban work-life routine. That’s when I started brainstorming ways to take back my commute. Here are 100 of them:

The Old Standards

You probably already do one or many of these things, but if you want to dip your toes into changing it up, here are some pretty straightforward options:

1. Read a book. An e-reader is great but extra points for a paper-and-glue, real life book.
2. Listen to your favorite podcast, or crowdsource ideas from your friends/coworkers to get started.
3. Listen to music. More on this later!
4. Read the news.
5. Do the NYT puzzles.
6. Send a message to someone dear to you.
7. Play a game on your phone.

Internet Chores

What have you been unable to get done because you feel like you just don’t have the time? Harvest this time and cross things off your to-do list!

8. Schedule doctor appointments.
9. Learn how to clean that thing that’s been bothering you.
10. Do the research and push the button on a purchase you’ve been putting off.
11. Move a lot? Look into compiling all your old medical records.
12. Make a meal plan and order groceries.
13. Strategize your returns. Request the shipping label, locate the drop-off, and make a plan to get it there!
14. Track down one of your favorite childhood toys on eBay. Start a collection??

Work

Let’s get the business out of the way. Take a little time to warm up your brain on the way to work.

15. Review pull requests (PRs). There’s always a small pile of PR reviews on my plate, and it can be a nice way to take a bite out of my workload for the day.
16. Catch up on Slack, especially special topics channels that you don’t feel like you have time to read during the workday
17. Read relevant articles. Do some research into that thing you’ve been meaning to read up on
18. Write a blog post. (Hi, it’s me, writing from the bus 😇)
19. Brainstorm side projects. What’s a little tool or utility that you wish you had?
20. Compile a list of new libraries or tools you want to use, and start playing around with them.

Learning

You can also warm up your brain with non-work-related topics that interest you!

21. Learn a language on platforms like Duolingo and Babel.
22. Research boutique language schools or tutors.
23. Read a financial literacy blog.
24. Learn how to do your taxes.
25. Build your home maintenance knowledge bank.
26. Find a podcast from an expert in a skill you want to learn. How did they get to where they are? What’s their process?
27. Discover new topics on platforms like Brilliant & Imprint.
28. What words have you always wondered how to pronounce?
29. What words are you not 100% sure of the definition?

Feed Your Curiosity

Wikipedia is your friend! Take a deep dive into a trivia topic like:

30. The origins of a fad. Think diets, toys, clothing/accessories.
31. The rise of a superfood, like acai, kale, quinoa, kombucha.
32. Competitions or awards for your hobby or interest.
33. Your favorite sport, especially the prevalence/variations in other countries.
34. What’s a book that you feel like you should read, but don’t really want to? Read the plot summary!

How does it work?

Humans make so many cool things! How do we do it??

35. How is a skyscraper built?
36. Where does my trash/recycling go?
37. How is a movie made?
38. How is your local government set up?
39. What is the internet?
40. How does a robot vacuum cleaner work?
41. What is tarot?
42. How do meteorologists predict the weather?
43. Listen to 99 Percent Invisible to learn more about the world around you.

How do I work?

Go on a little self-discovery journey.

44. What are your values? Search online for a list and look up definitions to see which ones really resonate.
45. Take some personality tests. Choose a variety, with different levels of seriousness or complexity. Do your results feel right to you? Why or why not?
46. What have you learned over the last few years? Decade?
47. What would you like to learn in the next few years? Decade?
48. Draft a human README 

Train Your Brain

It’s brain gym time! Studies show that adults who practice memory and attention exercises (even in short bursts) can improve cognitive function and keep their brains sharp over the long term.

Memorize

49. Your route. Can you list all the stops, exits, streets you pass?
50. Digits of pi. Find the patterns and make up a little song!
51. All the countries in the world, or pick a single continent with many countries like Africa or Asia
52. All the elements in the periodic table
53. Play a Sporcle quiz, then work on improving your score.

Remember:

54. What were your favorite toys from your childhood? What happened to them?
55. What was the layout of each room in each home you’ve lived in? Be specific! Which counter was the microwave on?
56. Pick a year, any year. How much can you remember about it? What happened in November??
57. What do you remember about your childhood friends? How about their siblings and parents?

IRL activities

Get your brain out of your screens and into the physical world.

For now

58. Work through a Sudoku or crossword puzzle book.
59. Play the puzzle section or read the funnies from your local newspaper.
60. Do a handicraft, like crochet, knitting, embroidery (be careful of sharp objects!)
61. Get a magazine subscription and read the current issue.
62. Track down and read back issues of your old favorite magazines.

For later

Queue up some options for your downtime by researching:

63. Where could you volunteer?
64. What kinds of classes could you take?
65. What community groups could you join?
66. How can you meet some new people in a similar life stage?
67. What sports or gaming leagues can you join?
68. What events are being held in your local establishments?

Daydream

Let your mind wander! These are especially great for active commutes, like driving, biking or walking.

69. Just sit in silence and stare out the window. Give your brain a rest from all the sensory input.
70. Do some people-watching. Build your compassion and connection to your community by recognizing each person as a human with a past, present and future.
71. Spy a nondescript building? What is/was it for? When was it built?
72. What kind of business would you like to open there?
73. What animals do you see? What are their backstories?
74. What will commutes look like in 10, 50, 100 years?
75. What would happen if you got off early or took a different exit instead of your planned destination?
76. What would happen if you stayed on past your stop / exit?
77. How would your city / region look now in 2025 if your mode of transportation didn’t exist?
78. Make up a poem about that one milestone (parking lot, billboard, barn, street corner) that you always notice
79. If you could only go on one last trip, where would you go?
80. You’re building your dream house: what special feature or room is just for you?

Explore Media

My ideas focus on books and music, but yours may involve TV, movies, art, radio, games, etc.

Reading

81. Organize your reading list. Nix those books that have been on your TBR for too long and make a shortlist of books you want to read in the next few months.
82. Follow an author you like on Goodreads. What are they reading?
83. Compile seasonal reading list: spooky season, winter cozies, beach reads, etc!
84. Do you read any Substack newsletters? Which ones do they recommend? What do their recommendations recommend? Newsletters all the way down!

Music

85. Make a list of your top 5 all-time favorite albums.
86. Recreate your favorite mix CDs or tapes in Spotify playlists.
87. Learn all the lyrics to a challenging song.
88. Listen to the entire catalog of a famous, prolific band.
89. Compile seasonal playlists: Halloween party, Christmas carols, St Patrick’s Day, Spring equinox/coming out of hibernation, etc.
90. Compile niche topic playlists: Songs about rain, or California, or my current project: “Boys & Girls, Guys & Gals” – songs with any of those words in the title

Embrace Your Inner Child

Yes, you are an adult, on your way to or from your big adult job. But this commute is your time! Take this downtime as an opportunity to weave some playfulness into your daily life.

91. Play a card game, like One-Handed Solitaire.
92. Learn a card or coin trick.
93. Play cat’s cradle. Get yourself some string, tie it in a loop, and see what shapes you can make. Find a website or book with examples and instructions.
94. Raise a digital pet, like a vintage Tamagotchi or the mobile-based Axolochi.
95. Work your way through a road trip book or kit. I had this one when I was a kid and it was everything.
96. Dig out your old Gameboy and revel in the nostalgia.
97. Predict your future. Play the classic M.A.S.H. or come up with a variation with your own specific unknowns.
98. Make a cootie catcher.
99. Make up a new pen & paper game. How about a riff on Dots & Boxes?

And finally

100. Make a list of 100 things to do on your commute! All of these ideas came from my brain and most of them on my commute. Dig around in there, avoid the temptation to use a chat bot or search engine.