Whilst on the go, the most mindful thing to do is to pay attention to something that we all forget – commuting etiquette.

Unless you’re a freelancer who steps out of bed and straight into your home office in your pyjamas, you are likely to be one of the millions of people who enjoy a little journey to and from their workplace every working day.

Commuting can take up a lot of time, especially in big cities. A tube journey can take 40-50 minutes, but there are plenty of ways that we can make life easier for both ourselves, as well as our fellow passengers. How? Commuting etiquette.

When we travel on public transport, squashed alongside our fellow citizens, there are a few written and unwritten rules that we should all follow so that we can all journey along peacefully, without any incidents or fits of rage.

Unless your ride is as exciting as Liam Neeson’s in The Commuter, read on for these top tips on commuting etiquette.

COMMUTING ETIQUETTE: THE UNWRITTEN RULES

1. Allow passengers to get off the train before you step on, but don’t stand in front of the door as they leave.

This will mean that you don’t get be pushed around by those who are trying to disembark. Plus your shoes will remain clean because nobody will have stepped on them.

2. If you’re wearing a backpack, turn it so that the front side is facing you, and “hug” it during the journey.

As well as keeping your belongings safe, you will also be mindful about the presence of other people around you, without kicking them at every turn.

3. To eat or not to eat, this is the question.

It’s better to avoid eating whilst travelling. However, if your schedule or diet won’t allow it, try to eat odourless food and choose something that is easy to manage. You don’t want to be that person eating strong-smelling onion or a bowl of soup whilst on the train, that’s just not nice.

Instead, keep it simple: fruits, dried fruits or small snacks are a perfect way to keep the hunger pangs away until you reach your destination.

4. Music is your everything.

We know that (almost) everybody loves to listen to some tunes during their journey. Don’t forget to keep it to yourself. Don’t turn it up too loud, or it might interrupt someone next to you who is trying to read or relax.

Besides it is not very good for your ears either – keep music at a moderate level and everybody will be happy.

5. Offer your seat to elderly people and pregnant ladies.

They will appreciate the gesture and it’s a nice to help others.

6. If your phone happens to ring, try to keep your voice down.

The bus or train might be loud, so you’ll end up speaking louder than you realise, which will be likely to disturb your fellow travellers. If it’s not something urgent, maybe it’s worth waiting until you get off?

Our journey to work can be so easy and enjoyable. We just need to be aware of these simple rules for commuting etiquette, then our travel will be peaceful and stress-free.

Remember, one of the most important things to do, is to treat others as you would like to be treated – showing respect, kindness and gratitude.