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The Long Road to Work
If you're like most Americans, it takes you about 25 minutes to get to work, up from 22 minutes in 1990 and about 9 minutes in 1980. If you live in New York, New Jersey, or Maryland, your commute is even longer, averaging about 30 minutes. Over the course of a year, then, you're spending about five workweeks -- 208 hours -- just getting to and from work!So it should come as no surprise that in one of the few major studies ever conducted on commuters, researcher Meni Koslowsky, Ph.D., a psychology professor from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and author of the book Commuting Stress, found commuters experienced significantly high levels of stress. However, Dr. Koslowsky also found that not all commuting is created equal, nor is the stress a foregone conclusion.
The tips in this article are designed to help make your commute less stressful, saving precious wear and tear on your heart, brain, immune system, and emotions. And, we promise, providing a calmer start or end to your day.
1. If at all possible, take public transportation. Here's why. Dr. Koslowsky's research found that it's not the commute per se that is so stressful, that is, the time we spend in the car. The real stress comes from the issue of control. If you drive your own car to work, part of the reason you do it is to feel that you're in control. So if you get stuck in traffic, you feel that you have lost control of your commuting experience, which is where the stress comes in. By taking public transportation, be it the train, streetcar, or bus, you have already given up control of your commute. If you get stuck, then, you won't be blaming yourself for the delay. Nor will you be torturing yourself to solve the situation.
2. If at all possible, take the train. Going back to that control issue again, Dr. Koslowsky's research found that another major cause of commuter stress is uncertainty. And there is far more uncertainty in driving a car, or even commuting via bus or carpool because of traffic accidents, traffic jams, etc., than in taking a train, when arrival times are more concrete.
3. Consider carpooling. Now, we're not telling you to definitely carpool, because here the research is ambiguous. On the one hand, Koslowsky's research finds that carpooling can reduce stress, both in terms of the "giving up" of control side of the issue, and in terms of the social interaction that occurs. But if you're an introvert who prefers a quiet commute so you can read or think or listen to music, then carpooling with people who expect conversation could just stress you out all the more. Bottom line: If you're an outgoing, people kind of person, try the carpool. If you're an introvert, stick to your regular transportation system.
4. Avoid rush hour, any way you can. It's such an obvious way to improve your commute, and yet the fact that the streets are clogged every rush hour shows few people are bothering to find an alternative. What are viable alternatives, other than moving or getting a new job?
- Seek a one-hour shift in the time you start and end work.
- If your company has satellite offices that are closer to home, see if you can work there on occasion.
- Drive in before the crowds, and create a constructive pre-work ritual for yourself, such as exercising, taking a walk, eating a leisurely breakfast, running errands, whatever.
5. Take the route with the least stop-and-go traffic. Longer is better if traffic flows smoothly and you avoid lots of lights, turns, and crosswalks. For most of us, no form of driving is as stressful as trying to move quickly on crowded surface streets.
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