Even short commutes induce higher stress levels than those experienced by fighter pilots going into combat and police officers facing rioting mobs.
The research, commissioned by Hewlett Packard reveal that heart rates and blood pressure rose rapidly for those on the commute to and from work.
‘Commuter Amnesia’ a condition by which weary travellers temporarily switch off their minds is the psychological defence which commuters employ against discomfort and stress, say the study authors.
Volunteers in the study agreed to wear caps with electrodes attached to their heads on their daily journey to work, usually concealed under a baseball cap.
Paul, a 30 year old marketing professional who travels daily from South London to his office near Paddington battles with a bus journey and three different tube lines, the round trip takes two hours.
The tests found that his blood pressure rose significantly on both his journeys with his heart rate peaking at around 145 beats per minute. Paul said, “I really do dislike commuting, I find it incredibly stressful and it makes me tense. Once I reach the office all I can think about is having a cup of coffee and trying to relax before starting my day properly.”
Study analyst and stress expert Dr Dave Lewis commented:
“This is time lost out of their lives. Since many people spend at least a working day each week travelling to and from their jobs, it means over a working lifetime commuters could be obliterating some three years of their lives! People suffering from even small levels of stress and discomfort during their journey will experience Commuter Amnesia and unless something remarkable occurs they will remember absolutely nothing about their journey.”
A wider study of 800 UK commuters shows that 60% regard commuting as an ‘ordeal’ that varies from being sometimes stressful to an exhausting ‘nightmare’ and the longer the journey the worse it gets.
Two thirds of respondents also admitted that the stresses of commuting are impacting on their productivity at work.
Digby Jones, Director General of the CBI said, “This timely HP survey confirms the very real effects of poor transport infrastructure on peoples’ everyday lives. Imagine the loss to the economy if two thirds of all commuters are unable to do their jobs properly because of the stresses and strains associated with simply getting to work. Urgent delivery of an improved transport system must become a UK government priority. Employers also need to explore the many new and creative ways of helping their staff get the job done.”
