Making the most of your commute

According to a 2016 report by the Royal Society for Public Health, the average London commuter spent 79 minutes each day getting to and from work.

Daily commuting times were lower in the East Midlands (52 minutes), North East (48 minutes) and Scotland (54 minutes), while commuters in Northern Ireland and Wales had the lowest average daily travel times across the UK at 45 and 44 minutes respectively.

While commuting is a necessity for many, this daily activity does not need to be a time vacuum.

OT approached locum optometrists for their tips on making the most of the journey to and from work.

A focus on balance

Locum optometrist and Nottinghamshire Local Optical Committee chair, Roma Malik, told OT that she considers herself lucky when it comes to a typical journey to work.

“Most of my commutes are quite manageable – usually just 20 to 30 minutes,” she told OT.

On her morning drive, she will use the opportunity to catch up with her sister in Dubai through a hands-free call, while on the return home she listens to the radio to unwind.

“For the occasional longer commute, particularly when working in London, I try to make the journey more productive,” Malik shared.

“On the way in, I’ll usually read a book, and for the journey home, I download a film or YouTube video so I’m not at the mercy of patchy train Wi-Fi,” she said.

Roma Malik

Roma Malik, locum optometrist and chair of Nottinghamshire Local Optical Committee

Malik highlighted that her approach to commuting focuses on balance.

“Some days are about productivity, others are for a bit of escapism. Either way, turning travel time into something intentional has made all the difference,” she said.

As a locum optometrist, Aaminah Khan will drive up to an hour and 45 minutes for a series of booked days where she has childcare support.

Her road trip soundtrack features Blippi vehicle songs (until her son falls asleep) followed by her own personal playlist including Oasis, The Verve and Fleetwood Mac.

Once settled at her base for locum work, Khan’s daily commute varies from 10 to 30 minutes.

When walking to work, she enjoys listening to upbeat music to prepare herself for the day, while a good book is a must-have on commutes by train.

At the moment she is reading Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t.

“Your commute is space and time to invest in yourself,” Khan observed.

Turning travel time into something intentional has made all the difference

A car-free commute

Environmental considerations have informed locum optometrist Rebecca Rushton’s preferred form of commuting.

“I had a car when I first started but much prefer using public transport or walking to work,” she told OT.

Rushton spends between 25 minutes and two hours commuting by foot, bus, train or even ferry, depending on where she is working.

Rebecca Rushton

Rebecca Rushton, locum optometrist

She highlighted that one of the advantages of using public transport is the possibilities of how she can use the time – from reading, to listening to music or having a nap.

“Often I like to be gadget-free and look around me and daydream. I particularly enjoy walking because it’s a great way to de-stress after work and transition into ‘home’ mode,” Rushton said.

Rushton finds that listening to music is useful for getting into a particular frame of mind before work, while podcasts can be good for learning something new.

“This Podcast Will Kill You is a favourite – it is about diseases of all kinds,” she said.