If you live in a big city like me, you know how torture it is to wait for hours in traffic.

In fact, I think that these times when we wait in traffic are the times stolen from our lives. If you are traveling with your own car, you will never forget the endless hours, the meetings you are late, the fuel you spend. If you are one of those who go by bus or taxi, it can be scary to spend hours with dozens of people you don’t know in a crowded bus. Especially if you have to go standing. If you are in a taxi, you may be exposed to the unnecessary chatter of the driver. Is it possible to turn this troublesome situation into an advantage and to think of it as contributing hours instead of missing hours from our lives ? I think it’s possible.

Let’s see what can be done.

1. Learning a new language

 If you think you can’t find time to learn a new language, here is the time for you. You can download podcasts, videos, mp3 from the internet and create a listening file for yourself. You can turn on the sound in your car and put on your headphones on the bus and listen a lot to learn a new language.

2. Write a book

If you have a talent for writing, here is a great opportunity for you. While you are waiting in traffic, you can even create book characters for yourself by observing the movements of dozens of people, their reactions, and many things about them. Maybe you can use your imagination to think the places where you have to wait in traffic as another planet.

3. Are there books that you have wanted to read for a long time but have not found the time?

Isn’t it the perfect opportunity to study in the car? Sometimes we wait so long that we can even finish a book or two in a week. It can be hard to read, especially if you’re standing on the bus, but the audiobook is just what we need. Download the book to your phone and mp3 player and start reading, listening to your favorite books.

4. We cannot exercise in the car or on the bus to improve our body,

…but it may be the right time to do brain exercises. You can install it on your computer or get puzzle and sudoku books. You can search the sections you can’t find online and learn a lot of new things.

I think that these and many other ideas can turn into an opportunity that we can use to improve ourselves or entertain ourselves in a positive way, which is actually a torture for us. If you have different ideas, please share them by commenting. I would like to evaluate it as someone who spends time in traffic every day.

My name is Derya, you can find at amazingtalker,com, and preply.com