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When I take the train to the office, I usually sit in the quiet car, a magical place where no one conducts loud business meetings on Zoom at 7 a.m. I love it, not only because it’s relatively peaceful but because of the skirmishes that break out when someone violates the rules; I find them weirdly exciting.
Overall, I’m grateful when my commute is uneventful, because so many things can go wrong: traffic, delays or the passenger next to me who once pulled out his portable razor for a shave.
Most Americans travel to work by car for nearly an hour a day on average, and research suggests that time spent commuting is associated with lower life satisfaction.
But there are some things we can do to manage our trips. I asked experts how to make your commute — whether it’s by car, bus, train or subway — more pleasant.
Tame your anxiety.
If you find your stress levels ramping up while you’re stuck in traffic, try box breathing, said George Mumford, a meditation teacher and the author of “Unlocked: Embrace Your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success.” Breathe in for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for another count of four and hold your breath again for a count of four.
If delays are announced, you can create esprit de corps with fellow passengers by exchanging a few words or even deadpan looks, which can “provide validation and levity to a frustrating situation,” said Catherine Nobile, a clinical psychologist in New York.
Ultimately, though, you should try to focus on the things you can control, Dr. Nobile said: “Consider whether getting angry will speed up the train or bus.”
Thinking of your commute “as time gained instead of lost” might also help, said Cleo Wade, a poet and the author of “May You Love and Be Loved.” She suggested asking yourself these questions during a delay: Can I find gratitude in this pause? Can I find fun? Is there a person I want to wish well? A memory I want to revisit? A reflection I finally have time to explore?
Do some (discreet) exercises.
Commuting can be mentally taxing, but sitting in traffic can cause pain and stiffness, too, said Jesse Charnoff, a physiatrist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. When he drives to work, he often places a small rolled-up towel behind his lower back for lumbar support.
If he’s stopped at a light (or stuck in standstill traffic), he’ll stretch by squeezing his shoulder blades together or rolling both shoulders, which alleviates tension and helps to counteract slouching.
If you’re sitting on a bus or in the subway, Dr. Charnoff added, flex your feet up and down 10 times to combat stiffness.
And if you’re looking at your phone while you’re sitting on a train or a bus, try to hold it in front of your face at eye level so you’re not hunching or gazing down, which can strain your back and neck.
Dr. Charnoff often treats patients who don’t consider how the way they sit during their commute can lead to or worsen back pain, he said. So try, as much as you’re able, to get into ergonomically friendly positions during your commute, he said, and move frequently if you can.
Cue up some distractions.
Need a mental escape? I polled Well staffers for their favorite diversions during their commutes.
My colleague Maxwell Strachan enjoys “Las Culturistas,” a podcast that dissects the latest moments in pop culture. “The funniest people in my life are two podcasters I’ve never met: Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang,” he said.
After a long day, Julia Calderone often listens to the podcast “Petty Crimes,” a twist on true crime podcasts in which the co-hosts investigate “non-crimes” — like roommate drama and longtime grudges. “The stakes are so low, and the hosts are so silly and funny,” she said. “It’s the perfect podcast if you need to turn off your brain.”
Our boss, Lori Leibovich, is a fan of the Amplifier newsletter, which she uses as a guide to new music while she’s commuting. “Because of recs from that newsletter, I am now practically a scholar of Mitski, MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchee,” she said.
Another one of my colleagues, Lisa Miller, doesn’t listen to anything during her commute. Instead, “I stare at people and make up stories about them,” she said. Or she’ll think about how “all these people were babies” and most of them have sex.
As I travel to and from work, I’ve been listening to an audiobook that David Sedaris recommended when I interviewed him last year: “True Grit,” read by Donna Tartt. “She reads it better than any actor would,” he told me. “She was just born to read ‘True Grit.’”
I agree. It’s so good that I worry I’ve got the volume up too high in the quiet car. Don’t want to start a fight.
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Let’s keep the conversation going. Follow Well on Instagram, or write to us at well_newsletter@nytimes.com. And check out last week’s newsletter about how to stop being a people pleaser.
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