If you only do one thing this week ... change your commute

With the threat of job losses in the air, now is the time to act like the motivated, dedicated, key team player you really are. So, do you arrive at your desk with a spring in your step, eager to face the day and meet its challenges head on? Or do you operate on autopilot, relying on a fixed routine to get you through the morning while you summon up the energy to deal with the day? If the latter sounds depressingly familiar then perhaps changing your commute would help.

Routines are good, mainly because they allow us to do things without having to expend lots of time and energy. If we had to think – really think – about everything we did between getting up and arriving at our desks each morning we'd be exhausted. But these automatic shortcuts can also be dangerous, dooming us to repeat the same behaviour and thoughts again and again until we're in a deep, dark, lonely rut.

The good news if you're feeling flat is that a small change can be all you need to reignite your spark. Psychologist and life coach Dr Sally Ann Law says something as simple as changing your route to work can have beneficial effects. "To achieve positive change you have to go through different phases, one of which is unfreezing. If you shake up what you usually do, you open your mind to a new behaviour."

Whether it's by driving a different way to work or trying an alternative bus or tube route, Law says by varying our morning journey we might meet different people or pass different shops, and these new experiences will help to open our minds to the "adventure of change". The adventure being that we can't predict exactly what positive outcomes will ensue from our new, receptive mindset. It's all about, like, being open to the universe, man.

Varying your route is one thing, but if you really want to shake things up then change your mode of transport altogether – the benefits could go way further than an increase in motivation. Swap the car for the bus and you immediately ratchet up your green credentials; keep the car and give someone a lift and you can help the environment and get to know a colleague at the same time (tip: choose that colleague wisely).

But it's the non-motorised alternatives like cycling or getting off the bus early that really hit the jackpot. Not only are bikes and legs recession-busting forms of transport, but by throwing exercise into the mix you kill the commuting and fitness birds with one stone. Combining exercise with something you have to do anyway – getting to work – means you're more likely to keep it up.

A study by the University of Bristol showed that people who built exercise into their working day had more energy and were calmer, better at problem solving, and found it easier to concentrate than on days they didn't exercise. Jo Coulson, who led the study, says being active makes people feel much more productive, "and that always feels good in our busy lives". So, a little variety in your commute could go a long way to improving your day in the office. And what better way to start the day than by combating climate change, apathy and obesity, all on your way to work?