Is Your Commute Sucking The Life Out Of You?
If you feel like your commute is negatively effecting your sleep, you’re not alone. (Photo: iStock/Getty Images Plus)
It’s no secret that commuting is a drag—the time you spend getting to and from work are precious minutes (or in some cases, hours) that could otherwise be used at the gym, with friends, or maybe just relaxing. Long commutes can also be hazardous to your health: A study of more than 4,000 Texans found that the more distanced traveled each day for work, the higher the likelihood of high blood pressure, weight gain, and other physical ailments. Another study—this time of 21,000 commuters taking the Long Island Rail Road in New York—found that long commutes had a negative impact on sleep. And separate research published in World Leisure Journal found that "the longer it takes someone to get to work, the lower their satisfaction with life." Yikes.
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So are you living in a city where soul-sucking commutes are the norm? A report released by the New York City comptroller’s office ranks the 30 largest U.S. cities by longest hourly work week and average commute time. New York City tops the list, with workers putting in roughly 42 hours on the job, plus six hours commuting each week, for a total workweek of 49.08 hours.
New York is followed by San Francisco, where combined work hours and commuting time totals 48.58 hours, Washington, D.C. (48.39 hours), Houston (48.18 hours), Fort Worth, Texas (48.01 hours), and Chicago (also 48.01 hours). Milwaukee, Detroit, and Las Vegas have the lowest total time spent working and commuting.
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As far as just commuting is concerned, New Yorkers still rank first (not exactly a prized position), followed by Chicago and Philadelphia, where workers spend an average of more than five hours a week getting to and from their jobs.
Those hours can add up fast: Those working in New York City get to spend 50 minutes less per workday with family or pursuing other interests than people commuting to work in Milwaukee. Not counting holidays and vacations, that totals roughly 216 hours or just over nine days per year.
Do you commute to work? How long does it take you to get to and from the office? Do you have any tricks for making the best of your commute? Share in the comments!
By Caitlin Moscatello
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