Many people have had to adjust to working from home in 2020. While opinion is somewhat divided, there is one aspect of WFH which everyone enjoys and this is the lack of a commute. The daily commute was an enormous source of stress and expense for many UK workers who now do not have to worry about this when working remotely.
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Average Commute
Studies found that people were, on average, spending a total of 59 minutes a day on their commute (there and back). This equates to a total of 18 hours a month and adds up to 9 days and 2 hours over the course of a year. This is especially shocking when you consider all of the things that you could be doing instead with this time.
What We Could Have Spent Our Extra Time Doing
So, what could you spend this extra time doing? A study from banner printing specialists instantprint revealed that in this time, people could have flown to the moon and back and there again, learned to drive over 3 times, flown around the world on a commercial flight 4 times and listened to every Beatles song 6 times.
How People Have Used this Time
Obviously, this is not how people have been spending this extra time when WFH but that is not to say that it has been time wasted. In fact, just 3% of respondents admitted to wasting the extra hour each day since starting WFH. Interestingly, it was reading that most people had turned to (26%) along with Netflix binges (26%), listening to new music (22%), napping (21%) and being creative in the kitchen (20%). These are all productive ways to spend this time and could help people to feel much calmer and less stressed, which is particularly important in the current situation.
Exercise
As you might expect, exercise has also been a way that people have spent this extra time which is certainly a good way to use an extra hour each day and could improve their physical and mental wellbeing. 18% used the time to keep on top of their home workout schedule, while cycling and running were both also popular uses of the time with 16% each, with men twice as likely to spend the time running. 20% used the time to (safely) socialize with friends and family when they could too.
The daily commute is something that most people do not miss, especially when the average is a total of 59 minutes each day. An extra hour each day is a huge amount of time when added up over the year and it seems that people have really been making the most out of this extra time that they currently have and filling it with healthy hobbies and activities that will improve their overall wellbeing.
