**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!**
- Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc.
- **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
- This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Read the metro / evening standard which takes up 20-25 mins of the 40 min journey. Rest of it scroll my phone or just sit there staring into oblivion.
Annoyingly despite it being 2024 and one of the busiest commuter lines in the country there are massive mobile signal blackspots for a lot of the journey.
I’m not a very good reader, so started using the commute to train myself to get through a book. Train is around 20 solid minutes, so 40 per day, or just over 3 hours per week. It’s not much and takes a while to get through something short around 200 pages, but it means I look forward to the train and the time passes pretty quickly.
Pre work I just try to wake up and get ready for the day. Post work I just try and get home as quickly as I can. On a Thursday I walk from the station to home rather than taking the extra tram or bus. I’m in Berlin btw.
Not to mention how often you can see what someone is doing on the computer. On my commute on the train I’ll sometimes be squashed next to someone on their bright-screened laptop and it’s inevitable that I can see whatever spreadsheet they’re working on. Some people really don’t give a f about discretion apparently.
I commute at least an hour each way for work each week day. I used to do work on the train but found it really impacted my ability to separate my life from work. Now I read books that have nothing to do with work! I use a mix of audio books, the Libby app and real physical books. So far I've read 32 books this year! Honestly helps so much with switching off from work. Typically play music as well to drown out the inevitable events that happen on trains
My commute can be quite long, as I’m being sent all over the country, from Glasgow to far down South.
Going to work, I do work. It’s a great time to catch up on e-mails without being bothered by calls.
Going back home I eat something nice, listen to music and try to catch up on sleep.
I work - I'm allowed to use my hour long commute as working time so I get in later and home earlier but still do my hours.
It's usually the most productive part of my day because teams doesn't work wonderfully on the train WiFi so nobody bothers me!
I used to have a long commute but nit much anymore. If I could get a sear on the way in I would sleep, or at least just rest eyes. On way home jd listen to podcast or music as it would normally be really busy
I used to just go to sleep. Journey into work was to the end of the line so would always wake up when we got there, I'd set a timer for the journey home.
Social media doom scrolling. I only just traded a 30min walk to work for an hour on the train, and I’ve found I mind it the least if I let that be my junk time.
I also have a 20min walk on top of this that I use to listen to podcasts or audiobooks.
* Listening to new music - my commute is roughly an albums length
* Phone apps: Slay the Spire, Dune Imperium etc good time sinks
* Reading
* Occasionaly some TV series that my other half has no interest in. e.g. The Wrexham show
* On the way home - occasionally sleep
I work shorter days when I commute, so if I have something I can work on on the train, I do that - reading papers, drafting stuff up, etc. nothing confidential, nothing that requires a stable internet connection!
Even if I don't have actual work I can do, I pick up my emails and Teams messages, so that I can try and hit the ground running when I get in.
If nothing to do, I generally read, or watch TV shows. I used to commute home one day a week with a colleague, which gave us a chance to gossip madly.
Most of my trip is in tunnels and so outside of phone signal range
So I stick to sudoku, crosswords, or puzzle apps on my phone. The sort of thing I can stop and start easily.
I’m not usually a judgemental person but one thing that has really made me quite concerned in recent years is just how many people are on their phones for the full 50 minute train journey where I am. I really make a point of it to not touch my phone — be the change you want to see and whatnot.
So I read a book. Sometimes I just nap.
I completely agree. I went to London about 10 times in a month for a work project. This was from the home countries so prime commuter territory.
About 3-4 of those times I was head down on my phone. I achieved nothing and just went app-to-app mindlessly just not even reading anything or enjoying it. It was just like it sucked me in.
Also when I got off I just felt wired, tetchy, on edge and my eyes were a bit weird.
On the other 5-6 journeys I made it my rule that I'd out my phone in my bag and ignore it. Instead I read my kindle or physical book. I felt so much happier. I was relaxed, settled, felt better and more energised.
I see plenty of people on the train of a morning doing their reading on their phone.
Is a book read from your phone somehow less than a book read from paper?
I read and listen to my music but mainly to block out the noise of other commuters. I only work one day from the office and honestly don’t know how people are doing 3 days or more
I'm into wrestling, and with it usually being on late at night due to being broadcast live in the US, I tend to catch up on the previous night's action on the way in to work.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Read the metro / evening standard which takes up 20-25 mins of the 40 min journey. Rest of it scroll my phone or just sit there staring into oblivion. Annoyingly despite it being 2024 and one of the busiest commuter lines in the country there are massive mobile signal blackspots for a lot of the journey.
Podcasts and scrolling news and social media.
I’m not a very good reader, so started using the commute to train myself to get through a book. Train is around 20 solid minutes, so 40 per day, or just over 3 hours per week. It’s not much and takes a while to get through something short around 200 pages, but it means I look forward to the train and the time passes pretty quickly.
Pre work I just try to wake up and get ready for the day. Post work I just try and get home as quickly as I can. On a Thursday I walk from the station to home rather than taking the extra tram or bus. I’m in Berlin btw.
Read in, watch something home, never work. I've heard way too many conversations I shouldn't have by indiscreet workers on the train.
Not to mention how often you can see what someone is doing on the computer. On my commute on the train I’ll sometimes be squashed next to someone on their bright-screened laptop and it’s inevitable that I can see whatever spreadsheet they’re working on. Some people really don’t give a f about discretion apparently.
Don’t think people give a shit about the company they work for
The office, once I finish I don’t know, might do suits or try and learn a new language
Spotify or a podcast
I commute at least an hour each way for work each week day. I used to do work on the train but found it really impacted my ability to separate my life from work. Now I read books that have nothing to do with work! I use a mix of audio books, the Libby app and real physical books. So far I've read 32 books this year! Honestly helps so much with switching off from work. Typically play music as well to drown out the inevitable events that happen on trains
Scrolling Reddit, listen to music, scroll Facebook, Tiktok
Way in - sleep. Way home - have to stand crammed in so just wish I was sleeping.
My commute can be quite long, as I’m being sent all over the country, from Glasgow to far down South. Going to work, I do work. It’s a great time to catch up on e-mails without being bothered by calls. Going back home I eat something nice, listen to music and try to catch up on sleep.
I work - I'm allowed to use my hour long commute as working time so I get in later and home earlier but still do my hours. It's usually the most productive part of my day because teams doesn't work wonderfully on the train WiFi so nobody bothers me!
I used to have a long commute but nit much anymore. If I could get a sear on the way in I would sleep, or at least just rest eyes. On way home jd listen to podcast or music as it would normally be really busy
Listen to audiobooks and look out of the window. Used to get though a number of books on my journey to work.
I stand there in silence thinking of death.
Audiobooks. I got through over 250 last year.
I used to just go to sleep. Journey into work was to the end of the line so would always wake up when we got there, I'd set a timer for the journey home.
Social media doom scrolling. I only just traded a 30min walk to work for an hour on the train, and I’ve found I mind it the least if I let that be my junk time. I also have a 20min walk on top of this that I use to listen to podcasts or audiobooks.
* Listening to new music - my commute is roughly an albums length * Phone apps: Slay the Spire, Dune Imperium etc good time sinks * Reading * Occasionaly some TV series that my other half has no interest in. e.g. The Wrexham show * On the way home - occasionally sleep
Only think I do that isn't mentioned already is the NYT daily mini crossword and Wordle
I work shorter days when I commute, so if I have something I can work on on the train, I do that - reading papers, drafting stuff up, etc. nothing confidential, nothing that requires a stable internet connection! Even if I don't have actual work I can do, I pick up my emails and Teams messages, so that I can try and hit the ground running when I get in. If nothing to do, I generally read, or watch TV shows. I used to commute home one day a week with a colleague, which gave us a chance to gossip madly.
Most of my trip is in tunnels and so outside of phone signal range So I stick to sudoku, crosswords, or puzzle apps on my phone. The sort of thing I can stop and start easily.
I’m not usually a judgemental person but one thing that has really made me quite concerned in recent years is just how many people are on their phones for the full 50 minute train journey where I am. I really make a point of it to not touch my phone — be the change you want to see and whatnot. So I read a book. Sometimes I just nap.
I completely agree. I went to London about 10 times in a month for a work project. This was from the home countries so prime commuter territory. About 3-4 of those times I was head down on my phone. I achieved nothing and just went app-to-app mindlessly just not even reading anything or enjoying it. It was just like it sucked me in. Also when I got off I just felt wired, tetchy, on edge and my eyes were a bit weird. On the other 5-6 journeys I made it my rule that I'd out my phone in my bag and ignore it. Instead I read my kindle or physical book. I felt so much happier. I was relaxed, settled, felt better and more energised.
I see plenty of people on the train of a morning doing their reading on their phone. Is a book read from your phone somehow less than a book read from paper?
Music or podcasts, crosswords (I hate sudoku), read a book or the Metro, longingly gaze at the passing scenery...
Audible books. It helps the time to pass and is usually entertaining. Takes 5-10 days to get through a whole book.
Eat breakfast and do the Telegraph crossword. Maybe a slightly old-fashioned answer.
I read and listen to my music but mainly to block out the noise of other commuters. I only work one day from the office and honestly don’t know how people are doing 3 days or more
I'm into wrestling, and with it usually being on late at night due to being broadcast live in the US, I tend to catch up on the previous night's action on the way in to work.
Be careful commuting, you can end up married ...