By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer
A long commute can be jarring. It has the ability to disorient and reshape our days. I have experienced numerous headaches and frequent fatigue when I arrive at school or when I get home. I commute from Richmond to the Burnaby campus at least three times a week each semester to attend my classes. Transiting has, over the years, become a routine. Not only do I go to sleep the night before and mentally prepare for school, but I mentally prepare for a long commute the next day as well. The transit time for me is roughly over three hours total. For the past three years I’ve been transiting to campus, and it is only during times of reflection that I notice how much of an impact my commute has on me.
Spending so much of my day in transit usually leaves me needing to decompress. As soon as I get to campus I feel as if I’m too mentally exhausted to get to class. I’d usually arrive a few minutes early and find a space to sit and do absolutely nothing — anywhere I can put my feet up and close my eyes for a few minutes is ideal. After classes end I find myself taking a moment to do the exact same thing, before commuting home. Long commutes bleed into my day. I often feel dizzy or sore, and my head aches from the noise pollution during the commute. When I used to take the R5, the frequent trips on that route often left me with a lingering sense of motion sickness. By the time I got home, I’d feel too exhausted to do anything else. The time I’d spend cleaning my room, going on a run, or interacting with my family, is often taken up by the need to decompress. I am too burnt out to organize all the books scattered around my desk, or fold the ever growing pile of laundry that eventually forms a tower on my chair by the end of the week. Homework becomes a dreadful and endless series of tasks I don’t even want to focus on. I feel frustrated with myself for not having enough energy to do these tasks. I sit in bed, feeling as if I am falling behind.
Making transit productive has become a goal of mine since my first year. Instead of dreading the commute, I have tried countless times to use it as an opportunity to catch up on certain things. I have finished TV shows, movies, and listened to all sorts of albums as I’d go back and forth from home to campus. Through this, I invested in a good pair of headphones that are comfortable, and have great noise cancelling features. I’ve also started using transit as the perfect opportunity to read. Initially, I’d get a little dizzy trying to read on my way to campus, but once I started listening to audio books and reading at the same time, I managed to get through a lot of novels and nonfiction works. I also began doing my readings for school on transit, reinforcing my pursuit of making my commute time as productive as possible.
To some extent, these strategies worked. However, I’ve found myself still feeling exhausted and often frustrated with myself. I get irritated with poor scheduling, or feel the need to remind myself that I need to muster up more energy or I will fall behind. Sometimes, while watching or reading), I’m too mentally exhausted or sleepy to pay attention to what I’m doing. The ways I’ve attempted to cope with this “transit tax,” as I call it, help a little, but never quite removes the physical or mental exhaustion once I get home.
To anyone who has experienced something similar on transit, here are a few solutions I’ve come across from my last three years of lengthy commuting:
Many of us have a lot of tasks that need finishing once we arrive home, but there is no point in doing those tasks if you’re already too exhausted. Remember, you just spent an entire day at school — forcing yourself to be productive when exhausted will likely lead to burnout.
2. Do as much work as you can on campus.
If a long commute means you’ll be too tired to do anything when you get home, attempt to do school work on campus before leaving — it’s easier to focus in a studious environment rather than after a long commute.
3. Catch up on books, TV, and music.
If you don’t get too bus sick, try to catch up on your favorite content. Transit is often time that needs to be filled up. Fill it up with something you can enjoy.
4. Take a break from school.
Let me be clear, I’m not encouraging anyone to skip school. If you have the capacity to take a day off from school from time to time, do it. I have found that, for some classes it is easy to catch up, especially those where the professor uploads notes, or those which require you to do readings. Don’t make this a habit, but use it as an occasional opportunity to rest and take a break. While you may be missing classes, you are saving time by also missing a long commute.
5. Hack your commute.
Sometimes Google Maps does not give the best routes. Attempt to see if there are other ways you can get from and to campus. Personally, I don’t like to ride the bus for long periods of time, but Google Maps always suggests taking the R5 from downtown to SFU, which can take up to 50 minutes per ride. I’ve found that taking the SkyTrain, which has more connections but takes less time, works way better for me. Also consider sharing a ride with anyone who might leave nearby, who knows, you might end up making a new friend too!
Transit is taxing. Do not feel ashamed for being too exhausted to do anything when you get home, or when you feel the need to take a break from school. Allow yourself room to rest, and acknowledge that a long transit can have a significant effect on your day.
