Our commutes make us miserable – here are 8 ways we could make them better
Inspired by some bleak Tube journeys.
In February, I got my first ever flat tyre. I was trundling along on my e-bike, crossing one of the big scary roads and approaching the usual hill up to the final turn on my way to work, when suddenly it felt much harder to pedal. Then I heard something over the sound of my playlist: a heavy thunk thunk thunk. I didn’t realise what had happened until I arrived at work and looked at my bike, only to see the back tyre completely deflated, the metal scraping the ground.
What happened next was miserable (I rushed around all day trying to get it fixed, because I am not savvy enough to do that myself, then finally got someone on Airtasker to come fix it for £60, then 10 minutes into cycling home… another puncture, followed by wheeling it back to the office in the pouring rain), but the true discontent was yet to come. It has now been nearly one month that I’ve been without my bike, which has meant that aside from some failed attempts at using a Lime bike (did you know there are ‘no-go’ areas of London where a Lime bike will simply stop allowing you to cycle? That was a fun lesson), I’ve been commuting into the office via Tube. And I hate it.
I hate that I have to leave the house much earlier than before, because a journey that takes me 38 minutes on a bike takes an hour and a bit via Tube. I hate walking all the way up the platform in search of a slightly emptier carriage, then seeing men in suits pressed against the windows and leaning on the poles. I hate not getting a seat. I hate not being able to read my book because I need one hand to hold my bag and part of the train so I don’t fall over. I hate being in too-close proximity with strangers. I hate how my OCD decides to pipe up and make me think about fires or explosions and how I’m trapped in a metal box. I hate how observed I feel.
These are very privileged problems to have, I’m aware, and comparatively speaking, my Tube journey is really not that bad. It’s just the one line, no changes. It’s also only twice a week. But I’ve found that in recent years my tolerance for public transport has dropped by a startling degree - I used to happily get three Tubes into work each morning - in large part because I so enjoy cycling in. I thought I was likely alone in this, but having chatted to many people with many different commutes, the same sort of feelings keep coming up.
In Cassie Holmes’ excellent book, Happier Hour, she highlights that the commute is consistently ranked as people’s most hated period of time. According to Gallup, the top reason workers give for not wanting to return to the office is that they aren’t keen on their journey in. Gallup has also found that long commutes are linked to poorer daily mood and physical and mental health. When I’ve spoken with friends who previously worked in-office five days a week and now refuse to go back to that, a large part of their reasoning is that the pandemic exposed the inherent futility of commuting - why are we spending hours each day travelling into the office at costs of our energy, wellbeing, and money, when we could use our days so much more efficiently by simply skipping the commute and working from home?
In short: we hate our commutes. They suck. But are they doomed to suck? I’m not so sure.
While a long commute by bus, train, or car is linked to poor health outcomes, the same doesn’t apply when you cycle or walk your way to the office. And some experts posit that the routine of a commute - even if said commute isn’t ideal - can pose benefits for our mental wellbeing. I’ve spoken with people who say they really like their commute, chiefly because it gives them time to read, or to feel prepared for work, or to have some space alone.
As such, I don’t believe we should just accept that commuting as a whole is shit and we should abandon it. While ditching the commute entirely and working from home full-time will work for some people, others find this isolating or struggle with collaboration - there’s a reason hybrid working is swiftly becoming the norm… but that comes with it the acceptance of an occasional commute.
Rather thank trying to eradicate the commute, or believing that all commutes have to be bad, I think we can take the lead from those who say they enjoy their journey into the office and try to make our own a little better. I think we can believe that actually, commuting has the potential to be good… but with some changes (both individual and on a macro basis), which I’ve outlined below.
Subsidise commutes
You know what’s a real kick in the teeth? Going through the stress and strain of a sweaty train journey where you had to stand the whole time, staring at adverts to occupy your mind because you forgot to download a podcast ahead of time, then realising you’ve had to pay for the pleasure. If a workplace is saying that a commute is essential, even after having proved in the pandemic that this isn’t the case, they could at least tackle the pain point of the enormous expense.
I know that in many places, covering the cost of commuting isn’t possible. But actually, for lots of workplaces it is, and they should do it. For the ones that can’t, could they lighten the financial burden even a little*? Offer a cycle to work scheme so people can get bikes, do a salary sacrifice for a railcard, switch around working hours so people don’t have to travel at peak times… anything! Something to show some willing, some understanding that travelling in isn’t much fun and it’s even less fun to think about how much it costs! And if none of those things are possible, on to the next step…
*or, whisper it, could the government?
Reduce the frequency
A note to bosses: if workers don’t need to be in the office every day… don’t make them do that. If we’re all in agreement that an hour-long commute is unpleasant, why are we insisting people do it five days a week, or four days a week, or any more days a week than is strictly necessary?
Always, always, always have something to do
Here’s a change that everyone can do to make their commute better: always have a plan of how exactly you’re going to spend what can otherwise be ‘dead’ time. Everyone I’ve spoken to who enjoys their commute says this is because they use the time travelling to do something else, whether that’s something purely for enjoyment (reading a book, listening to a podcast, watching a bit of a TV show) or something productive. I like to think of this in terms of time bundling, which is a basic concept that says you should bundle together an un-fun activity with a fun activity so the time is lifted up overall.
Whatever you decide to do during your commute to entertain yourself, preparation is essential. Make sure that you have a solid plan for what you’ll be doing and establish that you have what you need to fulfil that plan: a book you can hold in one hand if you know you’ll be standing, a podcast that’s already been downloaded, a work task that has all the necessary information before you settle in. The worst commutes are when you’re at a loose end and have nothing to occupy your mind.
Make the office somewhere that’s easy to get to
Sorry, I know, I’m about to call for a full revolution at this rate, but wouldn’t it be nice if people could afford to live somewhere that was within an easy distance from their office? Or if bosses could afford to put their offices right by public transport stops? Or even if they could suss out where their workforce is based and choose a spot for their office that has easy transport links?
I know, I’m dreaming, it’s not practical. But on the off-chance that someone reading this is about to rent some office space, I urge you: consider your team’s commute.
If possible, walk or cycle, even for just part of your commute
I love my usual commute for one reason: I cycle in. I genuinely look forward to that journey. I get fresh air, I get to people-watch as I ride, I can listen to a podcast or a playlist, and I find that I have my best ideas and breakthrough realisations while I’m pedalling. In short: the best thing I can do for my commuting happiness is to cycle. I’d advise you to have a look at Google Maps and at least see if you could bike in rather than getting the Tube or driving. It might not be possible, but if it is, do it. It’s life-changing.
If not, do this instead: build in even a little bit of walking. Research suggests that adding ten minutes of walking time to your commute boosts not only your wellbeing but also your productivity. Could you get off the Tube one stop early? Park your car ten minutes away from the office?
Prioritise comfort
Get a backpack so you can have your hands free for activities. Wear comfy shoes. Wear light layers that you can easily remove and shove in a tote bag, because inevitably you will overheat and become deeply irritated. Pack a bottle of water. Consider a snack in your bag if you tend to get peckish. The worst commute is an uncomfortable one, so do whatever you can to minimise aches and frustrations.
Use your commute for other admin
Another irritating part of commuting is the sense that this is a waste of time. Where possible, make it not wasteful. If you know you have an hour where you’re stuck on a train carriage, consider what you could get done in that hour. Maybe your commute can always be for sorting out emails, for making a shopping list, for doing some research you’ve been putting off. If you can’t make your commute fun, at least make it productive.
Count commuting as work time
Final point for workplaces who insist on the big return to the office: if it’s genuinely necessary for workers to travel in, then make that commute part of the working day. Perhaps start late and finish early to package in that time. It’s natural to be bitter about having to sacrifice your time and not being paid for it. If the commute is an essential part of work, count it as work and pay for that time accordingly.
I used to get very paranoid about trains and tubes in London so went through a period of travelling 1hr30 on the bus every morning from West Norwood to Tottenham Court Road. Now there is a fast bus but I often instead opted for the normal stopping bus but for it to Only take one hour and a half I would have to leave the house to get on the bus for 6am, meaning I would get in early for a 9am start (ditto I would have to work late)
Now good things were bus was lovely, I read loads, I loved watching london from the top deck but any traffic and it was hell and yeah I was effectively working many extra hours a day.
I think annoyingly it is all dependent on where you can afford to live and the dream would be to cut the time and stress down. I envy the people commuting now that they only have to do that journey two or three times a week. That was the dream then.