Carpooling isn't just for kids

Create time to connect without adding anything to your schedule

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that carpooling isn't just for kids. If you
want more time with family, friends, or colleagues, consider whether

(00:25):
driving somewhere together could create relationship building time without adding
one more thing to your schedule. So I want to
start this episode by acknowledging that a lot of people
do like their commutes, because being alone in a car
is an opportunity for quiet or a chance to listen

(00:47):
to music or podcasts that no one else likes. When
I have worked in offices, I have often enjoyed the
trip home as a transition between work and the rest
of life. If that is you, o great. But if
your commute isn't something you look forward to as me time,

(01:07):
consider whether you could bring another person along on occasion.
This might create time for connection during a window of
time that often feels like it is wasted. So, for instance,
if you and your partner work anywhere near each other,
you might decide to join forces on occasion. I am

(01:29):
not saying you try to commute together every day. If
you don't actually work together, you likely have different schedules,
and two stops adds time for someone, but it might
be a nice treat. Once a week or so, you
could choose a particular day of the week and protect
your schedules on that day so you don't end up

(01:51):
with an early morning meeting or a solo commitment right
after work. Even once every two to three weeks or
so could give two working parents a significant extra dose
of couple time. The same options would be available with
a friend who lives somewhere near you and works near you.

(02:12):
Aligning schedules can be hard, but you do have to
get to work. Maybe you can go together at least
once every few weeks. Carpooling to your extracurricular activities can
be great too. If a volunteer colleague lives near you
ride the subway home together, you and your neighbor who's

(02:34):
also in your book club could share a ride there,
offer to pick up your exercise buddy on the way
to your spin class. An added benefit of that is
that you will probably make it to the class more
often because you won't want to cancel on your friend
who is counting on you for a ride. Carpooling can

(02:54):
be especially valuable for longer drives. If you and your
cousin are both going to a family wedding a few
hours away, consider riding together. It's better for the environment
and your budget, and you'll get lots of catch up time.
Carpooling may create some extra time for connection with colleagues

(03:16):
as well. You could ride with a colleague when you're
both going from your office to a work meeting or
a work dinner, or when you are traveling to and
from the airport on a work trip. Whether you're in
one of your own cars or in a shared cab
or an uber, riding creates time for you to interact
but feels lower pressure than going out to dinner. Lots

(03:40):
of people want more relationship time in their lives but
don't want to add any more commitments to their schedules.
Commuting time and just general running around in the car
tends to be some of the least pleasant moments of
the day. Car Pooling is a win on multiple fronts
because it adds something nice to life during a time

(04:01):
that isn't always pleasant. Even if it can't happen all
that often, it might be worth trying from time to time.
In the meantime, this is Laura, thanks for listening, and
here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for

(04:26):
listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback,
you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts
from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

(04:49):
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.