No one has ever said, “I’m so lucky to be stuck in traffic right now.” But maybe we SHOULD be more grateful: According to a new report, commuting to and from work can actually be GOOD for your mental health.
After year one of the pandemic, experts noticed that a lot of people working from home missed commuting. And a study found it might have to do with something called “liminal space.”
Basically, it means transitional time, when there’s a break from work stress AND life stress. In other words, you get time to yourself to unwind.
Researchers tested the theory with a bunch of commuters. And in general, longer commutes gave people more time to relax and detach from everything.
You just have to avoid thinking about work or stressful stuff at home. Instead, they say to use that time to do things like call a friend, or just listen to the RADIO.
For people who work from home, they say it might be a good idea to manufacture your own sort of commute, like taking a 15-minute walk before and after work each day.