If you’re commuting into and around London every day for work, it can become tiresome and stressful to say the least. Whether you’re travelling by train to London, catching the tube or are heading to work on your bike, there are a number of ways you can de-stress on your travels.
How many people work in London?
No matter if you’ve worked in London for a month or 10 years, you’ll know how busy the capital feels at all hours of the day. According to recent data from City of London, 542,000 people are employed in the capital – there’s no wonder you’re unable to move on the tube some mornings or hail a taxi when you need to get to a meeting!
What makes London so chaotic?
There are many factors that contribute to London’s chaotic nature. Some of these you’re able to avoid while others, you’re not. If you walk or cycle to work in the city, you’re likely to be faced with crowded streets and if you catch the tube or train, you’ll have experienced the pushing and shoving while stood on platforms.
Not only is there the people factor to think about, but London also comes with its fair share of noise pollution problems. Whether it’s aeroplanes taking off or landing from London City Airport or cars, vans and lorries trying to navigate the busy, congested streets, is there any way you can escape the hustle and bustle of your regular journey?
Can your daily commute have an impact on your mental health?
Unfortunately yes. According to recent statistics from the governments Health & Safety Executive, in 2019/2020 there were an estimated 828,000 workers that were affected by work-related stress, depression or anxiety, which resulted in an estimated 17.9 million working days lost. Although these figures represent the whole of the UK, there were a shocking number within the boroughs of London.
What can you do to make your commute more bearable?
There are few things more fear-inducing than the prospect of staring down a packed tube platform full of stressed commuters (maybe getting gridlocked in the notorious London traffic). Unfortunately, the morning and evening trips to and from the office are a necessary evil for many, but what can you do to make them more bearable?
Come prepared – if you’re dealing with the same route each and every day, having a distraction prepared can shake things up a bit. Whether you zone out and listen to some meditation sessions or read a book, there are great ways to distract yourself.
Mix it up – ultimately if you can’t, you can’t. But if you can mix up your commute at all then give it a try. Whether you walk or cycle a slightly different route or take a couple of different buses than you would do normally, a change of scenery may give your commute a new lease of life!