The final quarter of 2022 saw 369 million rail passenger journeys undertaken in the United Kingdom.

Train travel comes in all sorts of forms, whether a short one-stop hop or a significantly longer journey for work, social activities, or even a little trip away.

Indeed, a longer train journey can be the ideal way to take some time to focus on your mental wellbeing, as it provides ample time to relax, unwind, and soak in some glorious scenic countryside.

Whether treating yourself to a journey in first class or on a commute to work, here are some tips for achieving true relaxation while on board.

Activities

Reading a new best-selling thriller or listening to that insightful new podcast are things you may enjoy doing but because of work or family commitments, you may not always have the time to indulge in.

Well, there’s no finer way to immerse yourself in a book or throw on the AirPods to listen to your favourite podcasts than when on a long train journey.

You could even take your iPads or laptops and binge-watch your favourite shows on Netflix. Time is your leisure when on a long train ride.

Meditate

Alternatively, it might be that when on a lengthy journey that you take the time to switch off from the tech-heavy world we live in.

Put down your phones, iPads and other funky gadgets, and use the time for your personal meditation to clear your head from the daily stresses of life.

Journal/to-do list

Do you ever wish you were taking more time to document your personal journey of life via a diary or journal but find yourself just too busy or immersed in other projects?

It’s easy for that to happen, but when on the train what better time than to write down your thoughts or make a document of the things that have happened in your life in the recent past to look back on fondly one day.

Or perhaps you find your mind is cluttered because you feel like you have a thousand-and-one tasks to complete. Well, take out a pen and paper – or maybe just the notes app on your smartphone – and make a to-do list, in priority order, of all the things you want to work through.

An even simpler task could be to make a list of all the activities you want to partake in when you reach your final stop.

Chat to fellow passengers

A stranger, they say, is a friend you haven’t met yet.

Well, a long train journey offers ample opportunity to speak to fellow travellers, possibly make a new friend or just wile away the hours with one another to reach your destination.

Just make sure the other person is completely comfortable with you engaging them in conversation first, remember just because you might want to chat there is no obligation for that enthusiasm to be returned.