Find ways to be productive when you’re stuck in traffic.

• Make a to-do list.
• Catch up on your email.
• Sharpen your language skills with Duolingo.
• Practice guitar. If you’re learning how to play, keep your instrument in the car so you can practice when you’re at a stoplight or during traffic jams. If you already know how to play, work on new songs!
• Memorize a speech for class or work, learn lines for an upcoming movie role, or memorize the lyrics to your favorite song (bonus points if it isn’t in English).
• Work on a knitting project (or teach yourself how with online tutorials). It requires minimal light and can be done in small bursts of time. When you’re done, you have a scarf/hat/blanket/sweater/etc.!
• Make a grocery list with everything that needs restocking at home so that when you get home from work (or in between errands), you can go straight to making dinner instead of trying to remember what needs replenishing at the store.

Do an activity that doesn’t involve the Internet.

It’s possible to find ways to pass the time on a long drive that don’t involve turning on your phone and scrolling through Twitter for two hours. If you’re going to do anything with your internet-enabled device, after all, it should be entertaining yourself with an audiobook or podcast—not checking Instagram every 10 minutes.

To help get you started, here are some great activities that will help pass the time:

• Read a book.
• Play a game. Negotiate the rules ahead of time so everyone in the car can participate fairly.
• Meditate. Studies have shown that meditation can calm your mind, lower blood pressure and anxiety levels, and even reduce physical pain.
• Do puzzles or word games like crosswords or sudoku puzzles, which force you to temporarily ignore things like traffic and focus instead on solving the puzzle in front of you.
• Listen to music from an artist you’ve never heard before (or an artist who has been around for years but is new to you). It’s easy for us all to fall into listening habits where we play songs by our favorite artists on repeat—and while there’s nothing wrong with loving familiar songs and lyrics, it can be fun every once in a while to shake things up with some new music!

Download a new book or game.

Download a book or game

I’m not talking about listening to a podcast here because that would require actually hearing your surroundings. I’m talking about getting something that you can enjoy without having to pay attention to it (or the road). This could be a new audiobook on Audible, an app on the App Store, or even a new PC game on Steam!

Play Pictionary.

• Make sure everyone is willing to play.
• You need a pen and paper. If you’re the driver, don’t draw your picture yet, but have some materials ready for when it’s your turn.
• Someone picks a word or phrase and begins drawing it on paper while the rest of the passengers try to guess what it is.
• After 60 seconds, if no one has guessed correctly, you can either pass to the next person or keep drawing/guessing until someone gets it right!

Practice a foreign language on Duolingo.

Duolingo is an interactive language app that helps you learn new languages or practice ones you already know. You can choose from a list of 35 languages to learn, including Spanish, French, German, Italian and many more. The best part about Duolingo is that it’s free!

To get started with Duolingo, follow these simple steps:

• Visit the [Duolingo website](https://www.duolingo.com/ “Duolingo”) or download the [app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-learn-languages-for-free/id570060128).
• Create an account using your email address or Facebook profile information (or just try one of their sample lessons if you’re not ready to commit).
• Choose a language to learn and start practicing!

Watch videos from TEDx events.

• Watch videos from TEDx events.
• Learn about a new subject.
• Take notes that you can refer back to later.
• Be inspired by the speaker’s ideas and viewpoints on important topics, whether it is in your field of interest or not.
• Search for TED talks based on a specific topic, like technology or business management, to find speakers that are experts in those subjects and can provide insight into their work and experiences.

Listen to podcasts.

There are a lot of podcasts out there, so where do you begin? Start with one that’s well-known, like How Stuff Works or Serial. As you get into it, the podcast will recommend other shows that you might enjoy based on your listening habits.

You might be wondering why podcasts would make for a better driving companion than music. Podcasts tend to be more engaging because they are full of stories and interesting facts. Generally speaking, people have something interesting to say—they’re not just singing about love or heartbreak (although many podcast hosts also talk about those topics). Plus, if you listen to a podcast about something unfamiliar, then you’ll learn something new!

Sing along to your favorite songs.

One of the easiest ways to keep yourself entertained while driving is to sing along to your favorite songs. Not only is singing relaxing and a mood-booster, but it can also help you learn the lyrics more quickly. If you don’t feel comfortable singing while at the wheel, then do so during a stop light or when there’s little traffic around you. Singing might not be for everyone, but if it’s something that makes you happy and excited, then go for it!

Read a book.

I know, I know. You hate reading. You hate the smell of books, and you hate how they feel in your hands. Reading is hard and boring and why would you want to do it? Well, think again. Reading can help develop your imagination—something that is especially important when driving for long periods of time. Books are a great way to learn new skills that could be useful for your job or for learning something new about yourself also known as self-improvement. If you’re stuck in fast moving traffic then reading can help pass the time as well as relax if you don’t want to listen to music or talk on the phone while driving. Lastly, reading can help improve your focus because it requires all of your attention which means less distractions while driving!

Write about something you are interested in.

• Get informed.
• Read on the topic.
• Brainstorm ideas for your new blog post, or outline the existing article you need to revise for your website or publication.
• Write about the subject you’ve chosen—either by following your outline or expanding on your brainstormed idea list. Write as fast as you can; worry about editing later!
• Edit and rewrite the piece so that it’s ready to be published or shared with your intended audience (whether that’s a client, a potential employer, readers of an online publication, etc.).
• Share it! Get feedback from editors and other writers before hitting publish on your blog or submitting elsewhere. Then write some more!

The car ride can be used as a time for self-improvement

Oops! Click Regenerate Content below to try generating this section again.Driving can be a long and boring experience, especially if you’re driving for a long time. Here’s some ways to pass the time in a safe way:

1. Listen to a Podcast.

2. Play a game that requires you to look down at a screen, such as Candy Crush or Angry Birds.

3. If there is someone sitting next to you, talk to them.

4. Read a book on tape or an eBook.

5. Flip through the radio channels, if your car has AM/FM options.

6. Look out the window! See something interesting? Take a picture of it with your phone and upload it later so you can share your random adventures with your friends and family!

7. Have your windows tinted so that you can’t see out of them and never be tempted again to actually look at anything outside of the car because it won’t be possible anymore!

8. Consider getting into an accident so that you have something new to talk about around the water cooler when you go back to work!

9. Look at yourself in the mirror and try out different hairstyles or practice different laughs so that when you get home, you’ll have some new things for people to compliment you on!

It’s always a bummer when you’re stuck in your car waiting in traffic or on the way to work, with no one to talk to or activity to distract you. After a while, the boredom can start to be a real drag. But if you’re driving alone, it can also be super dangerous to get distracted by your phone or even just stare out the window for too long. So here are some tips and tricks for great ways to pass the time while driving that don’t involve using your hands!

1. Listen to a podcast—they’re a great way to learn something new without taking your eyes off the road. There are podcasts about almost everything under the sun, from true crime stories to cooking tips. Whether you want to get spooked or inspired, there’s a show out there for you!

2. Make sure you have good music on hand! Music is great way to improve your mood and stay occupied while you drive, but it’s important not to focus too much on choosing songs—remember that your attention should be on the road at all times. So make sure you have a solid playlist queued up before you take off!

3. Try singing along! This one is kind of a two-parter: first, music

For better or worse, I spend a lot of time in my car. Whether it’s running to the grocery store, dropping my kids at school, or shuttling to and from work everyday, I’m always on the road. And sometimes I wish there were more ways to pass the time on those long trips. I bet you can relate!

I’ve put together a list of things you can do to pass the time while driving. Some are kind of simple and obvious, but others might surprise you!

1. Listen to a podcast

2. Call your mom

3. Braid your hair

4. Sing along to your favorite songs

5. Practice yoga poses

6. Plan your next vacation

7. Paint your nails

8. Count all the different types of cars on the road

9. Learn Italian (or any other language) with Duolingo

10. Make a playlist for your next date night with your significant other (or make one for yourself so you can sing along like no one’s watching)

11. Play I Spy with your kids in the passenger seat next to you (heck, maybe even play it with yourself if no one else is around)

12. Eat a taco

You know that you’re supposed to keep your eyes on the road as you drive. But it can be hard to stay focused on the road if you aren’t listening to music or talking with someone. If you’re driving alone, this can be a problem. What do you do when there’s nothing for you to focus on?

Here are some suggestions for things you could try:

1. Play car games with yourself. This can be a great way to distract yourself from any bad thoughts that might be running through your mind. Make up silly stories about the people you pass, or try to remember the license plates of all 25 cars ahead of you in line at a stoplight. As long as it doesn’t involve anything that requires more than occasional glances at what’s going front of you, it’s a safe way to pass time while driving.

2. Sing along with the radio. If there’s music playing, sing along! You don’t have to worry about anyone hearing how terrible your voice sounds (or how good it sounds). Don’t hold back—just let loose and belt out those tunes!

3. Make up stories about other drivers. This is another fun car game that won’t require more than an occasional glance away from the road ahead

Long car rides can be a drag. If you don’t have your favorite playlist on, the drippy hum of tires against the pavement may drown out everything else and send you into a state of boredom so intense that you’ll do anything to escape it. This list will help you stay sane when you’re on the road—just make sure your copilot is paying attention to the wheel because, let’s be real, driving is an important job.

-Play a game

-Get some fresh air

-Stargaze

-Listen to music

-Make up a story

-Read a book

-Record yourself singing

-Make an audiobook for someone else

-Write something new

-Take photos out the window

1. Talk to yourself

2. Stare at the scenery

3. Sing along and pretend you’re in a carpool karaoke video

4. Look for license plates from other states

5. Listen to an audiobook or podcast

6. Play a game on your phone

7. Make up stories about the people who pass you (with what they’re doing, where they’re going, etc.)

8. Make up rhymes out of truck names you see on the road (like “Mack Mack Truck’s got my back, back, truck”)

9. Try to memorize all the lyrics to your favorite song without looking at them on your phone or in a book (but don’t sing along!)

10. Play “name that tune” with popular radio songs and see how long it takes you to get it right based on just listening to the song (you can even play against a friend!)

11. Listen to an album you’ve never listened to before–front-to-back–and try to guess what kind of movie would go with it if it were released as a soundtrack today If that’s not your thing, put together a playlist and make up your own “movie” in your head!

12

1. Talk to your kids about your favorite memories of them – they’ll love hearing the stories, and it’ll be a special bonding experience.

2. Think about fun things you could do when you get home, like baking cookies or building a fort

3. Pretend you’re a singing star and belt out your favorite tunes! If you get embarrassed, make sure you roll up your windows first so nobody can hear

4. Play a game of 20 Questions. You pick a topic (like types of fruit), and then ask each other questions about what’s on the list until someone guesses correctly

5. Try to type every letter on the keyboard with your nose (or elbows, or knees)

6. Make up a story where everyone in the car gets to add one sentence at a time

7. Check out some funny memes online

8. See how many times you can whistle without taking another breath

9. Tell knock-knock jokes! Here are some good ones: Knock-knock… Whose there?… Arthur… Arthur who?… Arthur any more funny jokes? Knock-knock… Whose there?…. Will… Will who?….Will you just open the door already? Knock-knock… Whose