Long commutes to and from work can be stressful. How do you manage to leave anger and tension at the front door? An expert provides information.
Traffic jams, canceled trains, wasted time: many find commuting stressful and carry the pent-up bad mood home. This can put a strain on families and increase the risk of separation, says psychologist Dennis Dal Mas from TÜV Nord. In the interview, he gives tips on how to regulate commuting hassles and talks about the pros and cons of working from home.
Mr. Dal Mas, because of the corona pandemic, many people were working from home and often still are. What was eliminated was the sometimes long commute to work and the associated stress. A positive aspect from your point of view?
Dennis Dal Mas: There are definitely positive sides to that. For example, that you can often start work more flexibly and, for example, be able to take care of family matters more flexibly. One has a greater comfort and possibly an increased well-being.
There are studies that show that longer daily trips to work can put a strain on families and increase the risk of separation. Because there is less time with the family and because stress can build up that you transfer to the others at home – if you were stuck in traffic or something else annoyed you on the way home.
Do you also see the dark side of working from home?
You have to get the distinction. The boundaries between free time and work blur in the home office. Here it is important to have a clear structure for your day and to set working hours. If you have children, you should discuss this well with your partner: When are the times when you need peace and quiet and nobody should come rushing in?
In addition, of course, the social structure with colleagues is largely lost if you never meet in person. In order to develop a kind of togetherness, it is better if you always see each other in person. In this respect, I find a combination of working from home and being present in the office quite good.
Which brings us back to commuting. Suppose the car trip was stressful or the train was canceled. One is very annoyed and threatens to take the bad mood home with oneself and to make things bad there. How do you go down first?
It’s very individual – there isn’t one thing that works for everyone. You have to get to know yourself there. One thing you can usually do well, though, is mindfulness practice. Focusing on something else distracts you from the stress and negative thoughts. Examples: I focus on four things in the room. What do I see? This also works analogously by listening: What am I hearing at the moment? Or by feeling: touching things with your hands and consciously concentrating on them.
For many, it is also a good balance to exercise regularly in nature. In general, sport is an advisable compensation. If you can, make it a habit at work and use short breaks to be active.
Overall, in my opinion, it would be best if you could commute by bike or at least by train instead of by car. With the bike you are active and in the train there is at least often time to deal with other things. Of course, it is clear to me that many people cannot do without their car to commute.
