Part of having a healthy work-life balance is being able to manage your work time and your personal time. If you’re having trouble doing this, don’t despair because you’re not alone! The biggest struggle people have is finding time away from work. One thing that surely contributes to this is the commute to and from work. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you just can’t avoid it. And during peak rush hours, the Plano-Dallas commute can easily take over an hour one way; not to mention, it’s in traffic that makes a tortoise racing a snail look fast. So, what can you do?
While there’s no perfect answer until the teleport is invented (come on, teleport!), consider taking the DART to work. I know, I know. The thought of public transportation can be bristling to say the least. But now that Plano residents have to compete for the roads with the likes of those driving to and from Allen, Frisco, McKinney and beyond, the commute time is only getting worse. So for your own sanity, here are 10 reasons you should at least consider the DART:
- Be there in 45 minutes. During peak rush hours, it can take close to an hour and a half to drive from Plano to downtown Dallas. You could cut that time in half.
- Read a book. That’s something you can’t do while driving, or shouldn’t anyway. How many books do you think you could catch up on if you were able to read uninterrupted for 45 minutes each way? And think of how smart you’ll sound to all your friends with all of that newfound knowledge!
- Talk on the phone. Yeah, yeah…you can do this in your car hands free, but who really does that?
- Text to your heart’s desire. With all of the public service announcements, the advantages here should be self-evident. Unfortunately, there are still far too many accidents caused by texting and driving to prove otherwise.
- Read the news. It might help to actually read the news and decipher for yourself what’s going on in your community.
- Play a brain game. There have been studies that link the delay of dementia by playing brain games. If you have a think-less job, what better way to boost your brainpower and save yourself from the bedpan of the future!
- Watch a Movie (or a TV show). With smart phones, headphones and viewing options galore, there aren’t really many limits. Maybe watch a “How-To” video on that thing that you’ve always wanted to try.
- Save on Gas. Think of all of the money you’ll save at the pump! Not to mention doing your part to help the environment.
- Enjoy some downtime. Many experts agree that we simply need downtime during the day. You can close your eyes and drift off into a yoga state of mind, while you ride the rails.
- Make a friend! Let’s face it. Today’s society isn’t the 1950s anymore. Most of us don’t even know our own neighbor. That’s understandable in a big city, but tragic nonetheless. If we want to better our communities, then shouldn’t we at least start by talking to each other? So ride the DART, and make the world a better place!