Your commute has more benefits than you think
Did you know that commuting is good for your mental health? You may have suffered through many packed subway rides and sat in traffic congestion for 30 minutes only to move less than a mile ahead. But that time you spend commuting is doing your brain and body good. That’s something to think about as offices continue to open across the country.
The pandemic and work-from-home culture taught us many things about our lives. One is that a burnout is incredibly high among workers and working from home means there’s no wall between our work lives and our home lives.
Microsoft studied what was going on with its workforce during the pandemic and came to some interesting conclusions. Not having a commute was possibly hurting their employees and remote productivity was not as good as expected. Employees were also less engaged than in the past, more tired, and communicated more — especially after work.
Why people secretly love commuting
Commuting has a “positive utility.” Two UC Davis researchers who studied what would be the ideal commute time, published their results in a 2001 paper. The ideal time of their participants was 16 minutes.
People liked the fact they had control in their cars. They enjoyed the time aspect, including planning, making calls, and listening to audiobooks. Perhaps best of all, they took advantage of decompressing from the workday. Commutes give workers that much-needed space, allowing them to rest and refreshes their minds.
Commuting as a foundation
Commuting can also play an integral role in our day. Though it can be longer for some and more stressful for others, it does provide structure to our days. It can also set up healthy boundaries between our work and home lives.
Remember when people were taking commutes even though they worked from home? It turns out they were on to something.
If you’re a business owner or will be commuting back to the office soon, commuter benefits can make commuting even better. Employees can save up to $270 per month to pay towards mass transit, qualified parking, or rideshares. The money is saved tax-free from their paychecks. Business’s can even save on payroll tax.
If you’d like more information, schedule a meeting with us today!
