I spend three hours a day commuting: how do I best use this time?

I love a commute. It’s rare “me-time” that allows you to do whatever you want, but I’ve realised that different modes of transport, times of day and routes call for very different pastimes. If I’m travelling cross-country and manage to get a table seat on a train, the first thing I do is go through all my emails and tee up replies. Don’t attempt to use the train wifi – you’ll waste half the journey trying to connect. Open your laptop or phone, and start drafting all your emails. Not only will you go into work with a clear head and plate, but you’ll get a little dopamine hit when you hear the multiple whooshes of emails flying off when you do connect to your office wifi.

If working that early in the morning isn’t your thing, then read. Take a slim volume you can fit into your bag or pocket and whip it out when the time gods bless you with 10 minutes. I got into the terrible habit of not reading on short tube journeys, when you can get through quite a few pages and thoughts (even on my nine-minute tube commute in London). I love the Penguin Great Ideas series for little books of big ideas that get my mind ticking before I start my day.

If your commute is on a packed bus or train with little space, I recommend long-form podcasts or playlists. Spotify has the best algorithm of all streaming services. I start with one song and let the radio decide what’s next. With podcasts, I tend to choose ones that are at least an hour and flip between startup advice or things unrelated to my work, such as a series on an imaginary mission to Mars (Anatomy Of Next).

Three hours a day is enough to do a part-time degree, learn a language or write a novel; you have the freedom to decide how to use your most precious asset. Use it wisely.

• Send your questions for Sharmadean to bossing.it@theguardian.com

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