Fake Commuting Could Be The Best Way Of Looking After Your Mental And Physical Health. But, Is It For You?

Laura Beales 2 minute read

As Covid restrictions remain in place, we risk getting back into a bad routine that involves waking up and moving from our bed to desk, only to repeat it day in and day out. But, could the answer to our woes be as simple as ‘fake commuting’?

It will come as no surprise that “65% of people said that the commute was the worst part of their day”. No more sweaty packed tube journeys, and being forced to listen to other people's music through their headphones, and an atrocious amount of time inhaling the underground fumes - why would we miss it? But, as we spend more time confined to the four walls of our house, the more we have started to crave the once dreaded commute.

If you were to tell us that we would miss the very act of traveling to and from work this time last year, we wouldn’t believe you. Surely the best thing that has come out of lockdown has been the very absence of it, which has not only saved us plenty of time, but also money. With the average commute taking over 58 minutes daily (according to the TUC), this means that the vast majority of workers spend nearly two hours each day just travelling on overcrowded tubes, trains, slow moving traffic, or by foot.

So why is it important that we start faking our commute?

For many people, the time separating home and work life served as a fantastic divide, and helped us mentally distance between the two states of mind. Now that we are working at home, and in our relaxing space, the balance between the two previously separated worlds has become increasingly blurry.

Traveling between our bedroom and lounge (or wherever your work set up is), isn’t quite the same, and sadly, is having a negative affect on our mental health and our productivity. But, it’s time we made a change.

So, how does one fake a commute?

Start with baby steps, like getting dressed for the day in non-loungewear clothing to grab a coffee (in a reusable cup) at your local shop, or layer up and go on a morning stroll around your neighbourhood. Going for a run or cycle is also another great way of separating your morning and clearing your head for the day. If you aren’t a fan of cardio, don’t worry there are plenty of YouTube videos that you can exercise alongside. Pilates and yoga are another fantastic way to help stretch out all your pent up stress out, and clear your head as you begin or finish your day.

Use Tally Workspace as a reason to leave your flat and work remotely everyday. If fake commuting is for you or not, you’ll be able to book a venue through us and decide whether you would like to work near home or commute a bit further out. You’ll be able to create your own new commute into your remote office that will allow you to feel as if things are almost back to normal, and enjoy the perks of social interactions and a new scenery.

Sadly, we don’t know when we will be returning to our old working life, but what we do know is that working remotely is something we will have to get used to. By incorporating a routine for our day, we will be physically and mentally helping ourselves in the long run.