Blogpost #6: Why am I even blogging

If you ever see my face in person, your initial reaction would be "She looks so tired from commuting." Nah, but I do look tired every time, and I don't even do much. It's a given, and I've pointed it out a few times that commuting is a lot of work. Sometimes, I even think it's the only reason why I'm all stressed out. It pretty much is.

The first thing I do when I get home from school is rest for a few minutes or hours given the fact that I have tons of work to do. Why? Because I need it. But after getting my well-deserved relaxation time, I, most of the time, still find it hard to start working. It's like having jet-lag or something. And when I force myself to start working even when I still don't feel like it, my output ends up looking like crap.

So, the question is: Does commuting have anything to do with our performance at work? The answer is yes. The real question is: How?

In a study by the Office for National Statistics looking at commuting and personal well-being, commuters are more likely to be anxious, and feel that their daily activities lack meaning than those who don’t have to travel to work even if they are paid more. They also found out that each additional minute of commuting makes you feel slighting worse.

"Those making long bus journeys to work of more than 30 minutes had lower life satisfaction, a lower sense that daily activities are worthwhile, lower happiness levels and higher anxiety;" the ONS says.

Each person reacts differently when being pulled down. But as studies show, most people react negatively to this. Having to commute everyday makes you feel like shit. It makes you feel like nothing's ever worth it. It makes things pointless because you're not satisfied, which leads to crap work. 

The biggest effects of long commutes to work tend to be personal relationships, stress-relate health issues, and work performance.

According to an article entitled "Effects of Long Commutes to Work" by Jeff Durham, long hours of commuting is associated with increase in blood pressure, increased anger and resentment at work, and tardiness. 

In the same article, Durham mentioned that although many companies have begun to realize the damage that long commutes can do to their employees and have become more open to accepting more flexible working patterns which allows them to work from home now and again, or even completely, for some jobs, there's no escaping the long commutes. So, how do you cope?

"Many companies are installing gyms or handing out free gym memberships which have been popular with those who face stiffness after a long commute to work and a quick workout not only reduces that but also stimulates and refreshes the brain as well as the body." says Durham. 

Even the littlest things such as being able to prepare breakfast for the family or working out can somehow help in relieving stress.

I find it quite ironic that things such as having a proper diet and working out can relieve stress when it's the most affected when it comes to having long commutes. But truth be told, the only way to avoid stress is to fight it. Or quit your job, no one's stopping you.