If you are a working mom like me, I'm sure that there are many other “mom” titles that you would love to identify with like:  “the stay-at-home mom”, “the part-time working mom”, or, “the work-at-home mom”.  However, when your daily commute to and from work takes up over 2 hours of your day, you would just settle with “the live 10 minutes from work mom”.  After running behind your naked toddler who refuses to let you dress her or yelling at your 8-year-old who would rather stare in the bathroom mirror than brush her teeth, the last thing you want to endure is a 45 minute to 1 hour commute to work.  The truth is, unless you choose to relocate within city limits, this commute will remain a part of your daily routine.  So, what can you do to make your daily commute more bearable? I could tell you to wake up an hour earlier or prepare the night before, but I know first-hand that those are very idealistic tips that we all know we need to take heed to but things just never happen that way.  So, here are some ways that I have made my morning commute less stressful:

Meditate.  I know this can be hard to do when you are in traffic and your road rage starts kicking in, but this really works.  Some mornings, I cut off the radio and enjoy the silence.  Take this time to think about the things you cannot think about when the kids are screaming and yelling at home or when phones are ringing and requests for your attention are flowing in at work.  While everyone around you is swerving in and out of lanes to escape the madness, you’ll find solace in being alone in your thoughts.

Catch up on your favorite tunes.  Scroll through your music collection and listen to some of your favorite songs.  I sometimes pull out my old CD collection and listen to some old tunes that bring me back to my high school and college years.  By the time I’ve finished reminiscing over how easy life was back then, I am at my final destination in good spirit.

Enjoy your morning Joe.  If you are a coffee lover who hates having your morning coffee break interrupted, this is a great time to sip away.  You will have plenty of time to get your caffeine fix before getting your work day started.

Listen to the news or talk radio.  A great way to take your mind off of your dreadful commute is to listen to talk radio.  If you click through your local radio stations, you will find plenty of talk shows discussing the latest news story or other interesting topics.  This can be very engaging and keep you up on what’s happening outside the working mom bubble.  You can reach your destination feeling like you’ve actually had some “adult conversation” – something that’s hard to engage in when most of your life revolves around your little ones.

Plan.  If I have a busy day ahead of me at work or I have an event coming up at home, I usually use my commuting time to come up with a plan of action.  While I am not able to write out my plan, mentally planning helps me to focus and organize my thoughts. 

Your morning commute does not have to be a daily stressor.  Instead, you can use it to your advantage.  After all, this is probably the only “me time” you are going to get the entire day.  Why not make the best of it!

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