7 things to do while stuck in traffic

How often have you been stuck in traffic and just waited impatiently for it to clear? If you commute daily, then you must be all too familiar with the long lines of vehicles that just don't seem to move an inch for 10 minute stretches at least a couple of times more till you reach your destination. No matter how patient you are,bad traffic can always rattle you and looks like there's no escaping this vice of life in the city. So, let's take another approach:

Let's not look at the stalled commute as wasted time; instead, let's come up with ways of how we can make the best of this forced opportunity.

The Week talked to a few people who commute on a regular basis to find out what they do when they find themselves stuck on the road. Here are the top seven things you can try the next time you are caught in a traffic jam.

Catch up on news

Being stuck in traffic is the best time to catch up on the news. Make a habit of carrying the newspaper with you and skim the headlines as you wait, or turn on the radio and listen to the latest updates. If you are in a public vehicle or bikes, you can plug in your earphones and listen to news, articles, or talks on Umano, a great app that you can download on your phone or tablets.

Get on the phone

Have you been meaning to call a friend and catch up? There's no better time than when you're caught in traffic to do that. You can also make all your official phone calls while you are at it so that you save precious time when you finally reach office. If you're on public vehicles where other people can hear you, send text messages instead. You don't want half the world to know your plans.

Clean out your car

Clean the interiors of your car. We're not kidding. Use this time to clean out your dashboard, and organize your music CDs. Keep aside old tickets, papers, tissues, and other things that you no longer need to throw out later. Wipe the steering wheel, music player, and any other part within your reach and make them gleam and shine. Keep some car wipes handy for this.

Learn the lyrics of a new song

We all love to listen to music while commuting, don't we? Why not go a step further and learn the lyrics of a new favorite? This is an instant mood lifter, too. And you won't know when the traffic cleared when you're singing out loud or humming some tunes in your head.

Read a book

Carry a book with you or download a free PDF version of a classic on your phone or tablet and read away till the traffic eases. Opt to read a book that you've been meaning to tackle, like War and Peace or Atlas Shrugged and get it done with. This is probably the simplest and best way to pass time when you are stuck in a jam.

Make a to do list

You're not going anywhere for a while, so you might as well use the time you have to recall the things that have slipped your mind and make a quick to do list. Alternatively, you can also use the voice record feature on your smart phone to keep track of your ideas and plans.

Just breathe

Take this time to relax and forget about the pending work, albeit momentarily. You can do some light breathing exercises to calm down and clear your head. You'll feel considerably

more at ease even if you manage to take some deep breaths, if not complete whole sets of pranayama.