The commute. The daily grind. Hell.

Whatever you choose to call it, for those of us who have to drive into work daily realize that it can be one of the least enjoyable parts of the day. Between the stop-and-go traffic, your complete lack of coffee and the inconsiderate driver behind you who apparently thinks the closer he/she gets, the faster you’ll go, the daily commute can be a completely exhausting experience. And this is all even before you start your work day. Just thinking about it, can be a bit of a drag, can’t it?

But the daily drive doesn’t have to be like this. It doesn’t have to be the energy sucking force that we have all become used to; it can be better. In fact, there are a lot of people out there who have chosen to change the idea of the morning commute and reframe it their minds from one of the hardest parts of our day, to something completely different – an opportunity.

Commuter Confessionals: Your Secrets to Surviving Your Commute

For those of you who follow us on Facebook, you know that recently we ran a contest asking you submit your “Commuter Confessional.” To enter, we asked you to tell us the secret to your daily commute: How do you survive it? What do you do to improve it? And boy, did you all respond with some incredible submissions.

When we started reviewing the submissions, we found we received many entries about how the commute is more than just about getting to work; it’s an opportunity to do something meaningful. For example, some of you wrote about listening to audiobooks on the drive in as a way to learn something new, or others about how your commute is a chance to start the day by belting out your favorite song loud and proud. As we read on, it quickly became clear that the Commuter confessions you had submitted came in all shapes, sizes, and flavors and our team was very impressed by the ways some of you choose to handle your commute in a positive way. There were even a few moments where, as judges, we read them and said, “Wow. I wish I would have thought of that.” The quality of the submissions was phenomenal.

Vote for your Favorite Commuter Confessional

The job of the TeleNav judges was simple: to find the 10 best submissions based on creativity, adherence to the theme, quality, and uniqueness. Considering we had almost 300 entries, the job our judging team had was a tough one. But after some late nights, long hours, and a little bit of crying, I’m happy to tell you we have made our decision and have announced the 10 entries (in no particular order) who are moving on in the Commuter Confessionals contest and are one step closer to winning the Ultimate Commute Prize Pack!

Which of the following Commuter Confessionals do you like? Which is the best secret to surviving the daily commute? Help them by voting for them on our Facebook page! Voting is open until 11am on August 10th.

1. Kathy Quant’s entry:

On my way to work, I peek inside the windows of the other cars to see the drivers. Then I make up a silly story in my head about who they are and where they’re going. One man in a BMW might be a high-power attorney who’s skipping work to go to ballet class! The crazier, the better.

2. Kathleen Fischman’s entry:

I live in LA and take 4 different freeways to work every day. For this hour and a half commute, I blast the music and sing along–in different voices! I imitate different people I know and try to sing to the music like they would: from Lady Gaga in my New Jersey grandmother’s accent to Elton John in the voice of my Texan friend. It’s silly but it definitely makes the long drive go a lot faster!

3. Roxanna Angle’s entry:

Ah the boring monotonous commute to the even more excruciatingly boring job. I feel its a scene from the Bill Murray movie Groundhog’s Day. To ensure my eyes stay open I have a secret weapon; I indulge myself in horror themed audiobooks! Okay, yes they do make me hyper jumpy and maybe a bit paranoid, but it’s a secret pleasure that actually makes my commute actually (I can’t believe I’m saying this…) enjoyable.

4. Tommy Rodriguez’s entry:

I have dark tint windows on my car so I’m pretty sure people around me can’t see much inside car. I’m from NYC so my commute consist of much traffic. Put both of these together and you get me doing funny faces at cars next to me. I sometimes flick them off for no reason just cause I know they can’t see me. I also put music really loud and start talking to them really loudly. “HEY YOU IN RED CAR.” Guess I’m a loser but at least it takes boredom away.

5. Mary Cumming’s entry:

On my commute, I listen to Kenny G’s smooth jazz to calm my frayed nerves from all the rat race traffic.  I do like my coffee while I drive so I won’t get too laid back from Kenny’s tunes.  A Hostess Twinkie doesn’t hurt to pacify my hunger. Add a little whistling here and there, and I arrive at my destination before I know it!

6. Natalia Milner’s entry:

I record my kids (2 and 3 years old) singing, talking or telling stories, burn a CD and play it in the car while driving to/from work.  Listening my kids always makes me smile and makes me feel much better. My kids’s voices make my commute much more fun

 

7. Rita Ruud’s entry:

I pick up hitchhikers when it’s 20-below-zero. I also drive past the North Dakota State University sheep herd every day, and they have 2 donkeys out with the sheep to protect them from dog attacks. Every time I see the donkeys, I say “You jackasses!” It puts me in a good mood for work, where I have to be very nice!

8. Matthew Shaver’s entry:

Every morning at 5am I go across one of the largest bridges in the world. (Lake Pontchartrain Causeway). I bought a USB coffee maker I could plug into my usb port in my dash, and I make two cups of joe on the ride up. It is a straight bridge so I use cruise. Easy as pie.

9. Amy Lakhani’s entry:

If I’m alone, I make up stories about the commuters around me. Like, oh, that man is proposing to his girlfriend tonight, which explains his anxious face and incessant finger tapping on the steering wheel. That woman? She’s getting a promotion today but she doesn’t know it. She’ll look much happier when she makes it to the office in a few minutes.

If I’m with my husband, we listen to podcasts. Our favs: The Moth, TechCrunch headlines, and RadioLab.

10. Michelle Washburn’s entry:

The rituals I follow to survive my commute,to others might be embarrassing. I survive my commute by forgetting that I am 44. I insert my Ozzy CD or some other head-banging selection, and sing as loud as I feel like. Which is usually quite loud. Sure, people stare but who cares! I do what I have to do. Unfortunately, my teenage children will not allow me to do this when they are in the car, for some reason, its embarrassing to them? And their tri-colored hair-do of the week is not?

Vote for your favorite Commuter Confessional HERE.

How do you see your commute? Is it something to be dreaded, feared, or loathed even before you get in your car? Or could it be time that you use to do something meaningful for you, whether that be learning about something or simply just entertaining yourself? As you can see by the top 10 entries to our Commuter Confessionals contest, all of these people believe in the latter. What do you believe?

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Photo Credit: Oran Viriyincy