If you don’t drive, chances are you regularly use public transportation to get around. Whether that involves catching a bus to work every morning or traveling via trains to visit people far away, you probably use these vehicles a lot. Unfortunately, they’re not always the most comfortable place to spend your time. Rather than settle with what you’re given though, there are things you can do to make your journeys a lot more enjoyable.
Dress how you want
It’s hard to be comfortable when you’re not dressed in the clothes you like. Although you don’t always have a choice about what to wear – most offices expect you to dress smart – public transportation doesn’t have restrictions. You can wear whatever will make you feel most at ease, so long as you’re not exposing yourself to anyone.
If you usually travel in a suit for work, why not take a change of clothes with you to the office. It’ll allow you to be more comfortable on the way to and from your job without getting in trouble with your boss.
Plug in and zone out
Being surrounded by so many strangers isn’t always a comfortable thing for people using public transport. When it gets busy, you’re forced to sit next to someone you don’t know, and that can be an unpleasant experience. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have headphones with you so you can plug in and zone out.
Listening to music, podcasts or audiobooks will drown out the world around you and keep you distracted. It’s a great way to put you at ease and make you feel more comfortable as you’re being squashed against the window. However, don’t let yourself get too distracted. The last thing you want to do is miss your stop.
Watch the world go by
The window seat is always ideal whenever you’re traveling because it gives you something to look at during your journey. If you’re not enjoying what’s happening on the bus or train, try focusing on what’s happening off of it. Do some people watching or admire the countryside as it rushes past. It’s amazing how distracting it can be to watch the world go by.
If that’s not thrilling enough, why not bring a tablet to watch something on. Ideally, make sure you have something downloaded first because you might not have much luck connecting to the internet during your journey. Again, it’s all about immersing yourself in another world so you can forget what’s going on around you.
Bring along some added comfort
If it’s the hard seats that are making you uncomfortable, bring something along that will swap pain for pleasure. A small cushion or blanket should do the job well enough and make your trip easier to handle. Sure, the other passengers might give you strange looks, but just ignore them. Being comfortable is more important than what others think of you.
Public transportation is there for your convenience, so don’t let the negatives bring you down. Do what you can to make yourself comfortable, and the journey should go by in a breeze.
