1. Audio books on a bus
During my first job hunt, there was one job that I interviewed for whose office was 3 hours (by bus) away from my house. It was a writing job, so I was determined to accept it if I didn’t get the other writing job that didn’t require that insane amount of travel time. To prepare for this, I decided to think of things that I can do on the bus so that I don’t waste my time. I love reading books, but reading on a moving bus will strain my eyes. I decided to download audio books for the first time. My friend, Johanna, suggested that I listen to Law of Success by Napoleon Hill. I got a job nearer to my house, but I still listen to audio books whenever I’m traveling.
2. There’s always time to read a book.
My messy bookshelf
Wherever I go, I always bring a book. On days when I don’t bring a book, I always regret it. That’s why when I feel the urge to not bring a book, I always tell myself, There’s always time to read a book. When I’m waiting for someone, waiting for the food to be served in a restaurant, and the like, I open my book and read.
3. [insert what you are waiting for]-waiting meditation
In Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, she says that she uses waiting time to meditate. She thinks about the things she’s grateful for, the things that make her happy, etc. This way waiting time is no longer a frustrating experience, instead it becomes an opportunity to make herself happy.
4. Scribble, scribble
Writing is a good way to entertain yourself. That is why whenever I leave the house I either have my little notebook, my normally-sized ideas notebook, or pieces of scratched paper. Sometimes I also use my phone’s notes to jot down ideas that pop into my head.
5. Podcasts
When I was still debating in college, my orgmate, Leloy, said that he used podcasts to matterload. He listens to these podcasts while he drives so that he doesn’t waste time. My favorite matterloading podcasts were Economist Magazine audio edition and NPR debates. There are many podcasts that are available online, so you can choose the ones that interest you.
Stay tuned for more Life Tips.
Check out The REaD Hunter, an online bookstore that sells second-hand books through Facebook. We ship books all over Metro Manila and selected provinces in the Philippines. Orders made during the week are shipped every Saturday. We accept payment through MLhuillier and Gcash.
Check out my other blog categories.
Age of the Diary by Jasmine T. Cruz. If you like this post, please subscribe to this blog. Follow Ja on Twitter: ageofthediary. Email Ja at: ageofthediary@gmail.com.
