What are the problems with commuting?

Research has linked long commutes to a host of negative health impacts, from increased stress and poorer cardiovascular health to greater pollution exposure. Here, learn how your commute can negatively impact your health, and the simple measures you can take to offset the detrimental effects.



People Also Ask

4 cons of commuting to work
  • Commuting can affect your free time. Commuting can occupy a significant portion of an employee's day, so it may affect the amount of free time they have on weekdays. ...
  • It may be necessary to pay for your transportation. ...
  • Commuting may affect when you wake up. ...
  • You may experience traffic.


MORE DETAILS

Commuting also has significant psychological and social costs. It can be a major cause of stress, due to its unpredictability and a sense of loss of control. Commuters can experience boredom, social isolation, anger, and frustration from problems like traffic or delays.

MORE DETAILS

You may not feel like socializing. Another recent study found that those with a commute of more than 90 minutes are far less likely to make trips for social purposes, such as to visit friends and relatives, play sports or go out to a movie. This, in turn, can lead to loneliness and depression.

MORE DETAILS

Your Risk of Depression and Anxiety Escalate The study also showed that those with a long commute were 33 percent more likely to deal with depression. All that stress also contributed to the physical health issues. While dealing with the anxiety and depression, commuters also struggled with obesity and less sleep.

MORE DETAILS

Headaches, concentration troubles, and road-rage-induced anger can jeopardize your health. The longer and more frequent the journey, the worse these conditions could be. These issues can become too hard to bear for so-called extreme commuters or those who spend multiple hours of each day traveling to and from work.

MORE DETAILS

The U.S. Census Bureau defines extreme commuters as workers who travel 90 minutes or more each way to work.

MORE DETAILS

The dreaded commute to work could be good for your mental health, according to a recent study. Researchers at Wayne State and Rutgers University found that commuting creates a so-called liminal space that allows your brain to switch off and recharge.

MORE DETAILS

When you're travelling, you're just sitting in one constant position for a long time. Throw in traffic chaos and the vehicle jerking at every stop and you'll feel irritated as well. Just sum up the psychological and the physiological stress your body goes through and what you end up with is tiredness.

MORE DETAILS

In our recently published conceptual study, we argue that commutes are a source of “liminal space” – a time free of both home and work roles that provides an opportunity to recover from work and mentally switch gears to home.

MORE DETAILS

Data from the US showed that more time spent on the daily commute was related to higher levels of fatigue and stress during commuting [12]. Clark et al. [9] found that longer commute times were associated with lower job and leisure time satisfaction, increased strain, and poorer mental health.

MORE DETAILS

The Pros and Cons of a Long Work Commute
  • You have more time to think and relax. ...
  • You do not have to move closer to your work. ...
  • You have more choices for where you want to live. ...
  • It may make it easier to leave your current employer. ...
  • You have to leave earlier and get home later. ...
  • You risk being later more than you normally would.


MORE DETAILS

Most people don't want their commute to be too long or too short. It turns out the scientifically determined ideal commute time averages out to be 16 minutes — not long enough to feel like you're wasting time, but not too short so you can catch up on the news or the latest podcast.

MORE DETAILS