5 Ways to Make Your Daily Commute Less Tedious

It’s Monday again and I want to say that without sounding dull or predictable, but can’t seem to manage it. The truth is sitting in a bus with uncomfortable seats for hours tires me out more than anything else. I hope that isn’t the case with you, but if it is even close to how I feel about my commute, this post is definitely for you. I’ve decided that my Monday posts are going to be themed and for August, I’m going with ‘Daily Commute’ (you wouldn’t believe the sheer amount of time I dread it and actually do it).

You will find these standard ways of whiling away time everywhere – either people are glued to their screens even after spending a whole day staring at a different one or bobbing their heads to the music delivered through their earphones. Sleep is another one I chose to leave off my list simply because of how obvious it is. None of the below ways involve the stress of squinting at your phone/tablet/laptop, but rather aim to relax your mind and make your commute an interesting as well as a happy activity. All of these apply to people who use public transport or take a cab but many can be done by those who drive as well.

The Curse of the Never-Ending To-Do List

I can’t believe I finally have the time and energy to write a post on Monday! I was going back and forth on the idea of having a post up today, but I’m glad I pushed myself. As usual, this is born out of a random idea I had at dinner. I was mildly annoyed that I had around 30+ things on my to-do list and it was already 9 PM when this realisation struck me. It was powerful enough to get me back to blogging again, so I’m not complaining. In fact, as I finish this post, I’ll be ticking one thing off that mile-long list.

The Inevitability of Mondays

This is a stream of consciousness post. If you’re new to the concept, please Google it. Typically, this is where I would do my job of being a good writer and include an explanation for those unfamiliar with it, but I don’t have the energy for it. Neither do I have the energy to insert a fancy photograph with the title of the post that I usually make with Canva. My excuse is the same. I’m unable to get up and walk the three steps it takes from my room to my desk where my personal laptop rests. What all of the schooling and college life doesn’t teach you is how exhausting Mondays can be.

Inspirational Female Characters in Movies

I wanted to make this a series for the month of June because it’s my birthday month (you’re free to guess the exact date in the comments 😛 ) and I feel oddly reflective at this time of the year. Basically, I like to take stock of everything that’s happened so far in my life and where I’m headed next. It is of particular significance this year because I’ve graduated and am about to enter the corporate world. I was thinking back on everything that has shaped me into the person I am now and that’s how I came up with the idea for this post. Of all the various movies I’ve seen so far (it’s still a modest number right now), these are the three female characters I’ve identified with or have been inspired by the most.

Warning: this post may contain spoilers (and fabulous GIFs) for Wonder Woman, Pirates of the Caribbean and Interstellar.

The Case of the Absent Blogger

It was Mystery and Thriller week over on Goodreads last week, hence the title. (Neat, don’t you think?) As many of you might have noticed, I took a month-long vacation from blogging without any prior notice. I feel like I owe my regular readers an explanation, so that’s what I’ll be talking about in this post. Also, watch out for some fun Harry Potter GIFs. 😀

Why the Absence?

Two main reasons for this one: extended illness and a writing slump (I refuse to call it writer’s block).

Mind Chatter

This isn’t what I wanted to write about at all. I think last night I’d decided on anger. (You really should’ve gone with that.) Then I wanted to talk about depression. (That book was totally out of your comfort zone.) After that, I saw a friend was struggling with anxiety and was tempted to discuss that. (Let’s go on Twitter again!) In the morning, I woke up to another friend being mad at me because I did the right thing and I thought that could span an entire post. (It couldn’t have.) I picked up the newspaper and read so much about Holi that I texted a third friend about how it is overrated. She suggested I should talk about it in my blog post for today. (You should mention her name – she’d like that.) It so happened that when I opened up my laptop and saw the new layout in WordPress, I started typing about something else entirely. (Why does everything have to change? You should write about that.)

Unapologetically Yours

I haven’t been able to post since the dawn of March due to an illness and other unforeseen circumstances. All the while I was away, I was brainstorming post ideas. Many of them were interesting and I’m pretty sure I’ll flesh them out soon, but only one made me think twice about writing it, for it wasn’t a ‘safe’ idea. The more I thought about it, the more it struck me as odd because I didn’t feel comfortable talking about whatever struck my fancy on my own blog. I’ve always been a cautious person and deep in my heart I can still sense a certain reluctance warring with my bolder side, begging me to reconsider.

Let’s Talk Animation

If you didn’t already know, I’m a huge fan of animated movies. Since yesterday, I’ve been binge-watching some Disney movies and done little else. I only paused now to talk about how awesome they are in this blog post and then I’ll go right back to it. Cause for concern? Probably. But animated movies are like a sugar-high without any of the side effects, and I can’t resist indulging.

Resistance

Resistance keeps us alive. Resistance causes us to fail. We feel it when we stretch our fingers in front of the fire. We also feel it when we think of something unpleasant we would rather not do. Yet, funnily enough, both the necessary and the unnecessary resistance have the same word to describe it.

Science gives one definition of it. We can calculate it – even that on our own skin. It is a tangible and real thing, quantified by a unit named after a German man who devoted his life to learning all about it. We know it and we need it sometimes, but at other times it is a nuisance. Resistance is useful when we try to move, but also causes losses in a conducting wire. Like nature, it is both good and evil.

Control

What’s the first image that flashes across your mind when you hear the word control? A puppet with strings attached? A person yelling at others, trying to get them to conform? A leader of a country smiling benignly down at his countrymen, his smile hiding the secrets of power? A button on a keyboard? A panel with funny little buttons and a red one you’re never supposed to push? A soft voice in a darkened room, convincing a young recruit of lies warped as truth? It could be all of them, or none at all, for it could be just an illusion.