Daily Life Of Commuting

Studies show that commutes lead to travel satisfaction and increased risk of mental health issues, despite a year of traveling from home, our travel satisfaction and general mental health have continued to deteriorate.

A part of this is the result having in-person interactions. The burnout and loss many of us have faced is a large part of it too. But we believe misplacing our commutes has also made a contribution.

Pre-Covid, our commutes were a part of our daily rituals, and rituals have been a natural human behavior since the beginning of time. Nightly prayers are a ritual. Morning showers are a ritual. Even bringing donuts to work on Friday — every Friday, rain or shine— is a ritual. Simply put, a ritual is a process we repeat at more or less fixed times to add some stability and certainty into an otherwise unstable and uncertain world — alleviating feelings of grief, anxiety, and increasing confidence.

So, let us think about your commute.

You wake up at whatever time, stumble downstairs, eat some breakfast, and make a cup of coffee or tea while listening to your favorite podcast. If you have children, a part of your ritual may be dressing them for school. If you have pets, a part of your ritual may be filling their bowls with kibble and taking a walk around the block. At some point, you shower and put on your nice clothes. Tie that tie, wrap that scarf, pull that sweatshirt over your head. You get your backpack or shoulder bag, check your phone for messages, climb into the car or hop onto your bike or run to catch your train — and off you go.

You’ve taken this ride countless times. As a matter of fact, you travel the same route every day. During the commute, you turn on the media — maybe it’s the news, music, an audio book, or talk radio. You show up at work, do your thing, then repeat the whole process in reverse.

It might seem robotic. It might even seem pathetic. But it’s good stuff — for your mind and your body!