There’s a good reason why 80% of employees view the option to work remotely or at a virtual office as a job perk: no commuting. Daily commutes, especially stressful, caffeine-fueled, last-minute, woke-up-late, rush hour commutes, have serious effects on our physical and mental health. In fact, 14% of Americans have changed jobs just to shorten the commute and alleviate some of that dreaded, inescapable stress.
Taking advantage of the benefits of virtual offices is just one way to take control of your workday, but if you’re still not convinced, we can help you out. Here’s part one of our guide that will explore some of the very real effects that stressful daily commutes have on the mind and body.
Increased Blood Sugar
Many people think that diet and lack of exercise are solely to blame for high blood pressure, but that’s not exactly the case. Researchers at the University School of Medicine in Saint Louis and the Cooper Institute in Dallas published a report in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine stating that driving more than 10 miles each to work each way is associated with higher blood sugar levels. If left untreated, these elevated blood glucose levels can lead to more long term health effects, most notably, pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Increased Anxiety
Most people who commute daily through dense traffic have probably experienced some level of stress, but research has actually proven that these longer commutes can lead to increased anxiety.
“A new report from the U.K.’s Office of National Statistics finds that people who commute more than half an hour to work each way report higher levels of stress and anxiety than people with shorter commutes or no commutes at all. While there’s not much you can do to shorten or eliminate your commute, you can make the most of it by doing something like listening to an interesting audio book,” writes Carolyn Kylstra in Time Magazine.
According to a new study, the top 10 industries most likely to use virtual offices are: financial, legal, consulting, technology, real estate/brokers, healthcare, marketing and advertising, entertainment, retail, and construction. Still, virtual offices and other types of flexible office space for rent can help you avoid these health effects. Keep an eye out for the next post, where we’ll address some more detrimental effects of stressful daily commutes.
