This year the majority of the UK population is working from home. This comes with its challenges, but a positive most people can agree on is that they no longer have to commute. The average person spends an hour a day travelling to and from work. What are the pros and cons of this time spent commuting? And how are people using that extra hour in the comfort of their own homes?
Pros
The printing company, instantprint, who specialise in creating business cards, figured out that in a year you could spend nine days and two hours commuting. To put that into perspective you could fly to the moon and back – and then back to the moon again! But are there actually any benefits to spending all this time commuting? Research shows that the commute gives you time to transition between your home and work self, allowing you to get into the right mindset for the day. Plus, it can be a great opportunity to get some exercise in if you walk or cycle to work.
Cons
Commuting does come with cons, too. One of the main ones being how much it can cost. There are certain cities in the UK where an annual commute can cost you thousands and thousands of pounds a year. It can be a very stressful start to the day if a train is late or traffic is particularly bad. Plus, you’re uncomfortable and crammed in with fellow commuters. It can seem like such a waste of time – and money – when you can be doing other things.
How We Use Extra Time
With so many people working from home now and not having to commute: what are they doing instead? instantprint asked 1,000 people who have been working at home since the pandemic how they’ve been spending their extra time. The most popular answers were: reading, Netflix and listening to music. Over half of those surveyed said they were using the extra time to be more productive than they would have been at the office. Though it’s important to put the work in required, you also need to remember to give yourself a break. It’s a difficult time right now and you need to find a system that works for you. Only 15% of people said they had found the perfect balance, so remember, you’re not alone if you’re finding this year overwhelming. Working from home gives you the gift of time and it’s completely up to you how you want to use it.
It’s likely that commuting won’t be happening for the foreseeable future for many of us still working remotely. Once you find your right set-up, try and make the most of the extra hours you get. If you’ve been working from home, what have you been doing with your extra time?