When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

5 NLP tools to practice during your commute to work

April 6, 2023

You can practice NLP tools anywhere. Your commute to work could be the perfect time. Or it can even make a long-haul flight a source of entertainment.

The average person spends about 4 hours in traffic each week. In a city like Los Angeles, that number can jump to as high as 16 hours per week!

I remember when I worked in the corporate world, I would be on the train, which mimicked the situation in Japanese subway. Tokyo is a city of commuters. The trains are especially packed, and people are often forced to stand, even in first class. There is one solution to this problem: oshiya, or “pushers.” These workers specialize in getting people onto crowded trains. They use all their strength to shove and prod passengers into place, sometimes causing them injury in the process!

There should never be a dull moment if you can practice NLP.

5 NLP Tools to practice during your commute to work

NLP Tool 1: build rapport

This would only work if you are on public transport.

Start matching and mirroring (copy) the way someone sits. If you want to, you can even copy their breathing. Once you feel a sense of connection with them, shift into a different position and see if they follow you. Or start a conversation and see if they are willing to engage and be open.

NLP Tool 2: meta model

Connect with someone and practice 3 meta model questions:

What specifically?
Who specifically?
How specifically?

If you are not on public transport, turn on the radio and see if you can find a person talking. Imagine asking the person these questions as a game, where you would ask a question any time they are vague.

NLP tool 3: second perceptual position

Float your awareness into the shoes of another person you see during your commute. What would they see, hear and feel? What is it like to be them?

NLP tool 4: practice predicates

Turn on the radio and find something with dialogue, or listen in to someone else’s conversation.

Pay attention if they use predominantly:

Visual words: see, look, focus, bright, vision, visualize etc.

Auditory: hear, listen, talk, loud, resonate etc.

Kinaesthetic: feel, rough, grasp, move, soft etc.

NLP tool 5: stepping into a positive state

Determine what emotion you would like to feel first, and think of a context, an experience or a person where you feel this way.
Turn on music that gives. you this emotion (if you can.)
Step into where you felt this way, and see what you would see, hear what you would hear and feel what you would feel.

Boredom is a common problem that can be caused by many different things. When people are bored, they often turn to entertainment or activities to help pass the time. However, there are also some ways to overcome boredom using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), while simultaneously sharpening your skills!