How Commuting Affects Mental Health
Taking care of one’s overall health should be a top priority in our everyday lives, but many forget that taking care of themselves mentally is just as important as physical and emotional health. Many start they’re work days long before arriving at the office by having a long commute. As travel is a part of our everyday routine this can be easily overlooked.
The daily commute is often overlooked when it comes to considering the impacts of the commute on an employee’s overall mental wellbeing and job performance. Regular commutes to a physical workplace or even the short commute to a home office impacts an individual's mental health more than one might think. Commuting to a workplace daily or having commute times extended due to unforeseen circumstances have been known to contribute towards: the rise in anxiety and depression, being chronically stressed, and a lack of enthusiasm. The more time spent in the car or on public transportation equates to higher levels of stress, and pressure. With the high costs associated with living in urban centers, there is a tradeoff between housing costs and transportation/commuting. Choices must be made and they often have adverse effects on our daily lives one way or another. For those working from home, the lack of socialization and creating a work/life balance, can be tough mentally as well. Anxiety, depression, stress, and even over-working, all impact largely.
If 2020 and Covid have taught us anything, it is that our mental health is extremely important and that everyone should be more aware of not only slowing down but using self care techniques to refresh and reboot. The time is slowly arriving upon those who have been working from home during the pandemic to return to the office. Did you know, commuters report higher levels of anxiety and stress versus those with short or no commutes. It has also been noted that commuting increases your overall blood pressure, along with spikes that happen during the commute (especially if there is an unexpected delay or situation). Over time commuting ends up leading to neglecting aspects of one's personal life. The added time an individual spends commuting ultimately takes time away from preparing healthy meals that will fuel your body properly, and takes time away from spending extra time with family and friends. This can leave less time for socializing, exercising, and self care.
By comparing public transportation to driving; public transportation is better in a way, as it allows people to engage in activities such as reading a book, which results in reduced stress and boredom. However, 94% of those who used public transit to commute to work prior to the pandemic said they feel stressed and anxious about the safety of using public transit to return to their workplace.
Since Inception, Hop In has driven a total of 50,000 KM and helped simplify over 8,500+ rides. The Hop In Technologies team understands just how draining a daily commute can be. Our team has experienced commuting struggles, just like others. The stress of the daily commute is hours in a week that one will never get back. Hop In Technologies provides a logistics software service that offers a customized shuttle solution for the daily commute. Whether you’re riding all the way to work, or even just to the transit stations, services are customizable to meet the needs of employees. Simplifying and relieving commuting stress should be the most important consideration when it comes to helping employees regain their work-life balance. Everyone should be able to spend more time doing things that can help them de-stress and be ready for the work day ahead.
Everyone should be able to spend more time doing things that can help them de-stress and be ready for the work day ahead. Using Hop In is one way in which you can ensure your mental health is in a proper state as we move forward. Especially as offices begin to re-open and individuals who have been working from home due to Covid-19 return to work.
