Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco
Have you ever given much thought to just how beneficial your commute to work or college is each day? Probably not, but what if I told you that the daily commute actually comes with a host of benefits and advantages? It’s true! Instead of living away from home while you work or study, you can drive to and from home and experience some definite upsides.
Many students might not like the idea of living with their parents while studying, but the financial benefits are undeniable. If you are a student, bite the bullet, stay home, and commute. It’s a great way to save cash while also ensuring that you spend quality time with your family before you move on to your grown-up life after your studies.
This isn’t just about students, though. What about those who work? On the other hand, those who work in the city may be tempted to rent an apartment close to work, but this can lead to family disruption and general unhappiness. Before you decide if the commute will be truly beneficial to you, let’s consider the potential advantages of commuting – read on.
10 Benefits and advantages of commuting to work, college, or elsewhere:
1. Healthy home-cooked meals daily.
How much value do you place to eating a meal that’s cooked at home? If you get a home-cooked meal every day, don’t underestimate just how spoiled you really are. Home-cooked meals are packed with nutrition, and let’s be honest, it beats subway food by a long shot. If you want to keep up with getting delicious meals that feed body and mind, forego the fast-food and temp accommodation lifestyle and make sure you’re commuting back and forth each day.
2. Time to clear your head.
How often do you find yourself with time to actually relax and think? Most people just don’t have that. Life can be busy with all the things we have to do. Sometimes it can feel like responsibilities are mounting, and there’s a never-ending list of things to do. When these busy times strike, it can feel like there’s no time to be alone with the thoughts in your head, but when you commute, there’s little else to do but think.
Time commuting can be spent to clear your head, do a bit of thinking or even meditate. If you are using public transport systems, there’s even more time to think. Most people take a book along, their favorite music, and even a healthy snack in order to get the very best out of their commute time.
3. Potential to save money.
Do you have a lot of money to throw around? Most people don’t. For students, living at home can save a lot of money. There’s no need to rent a property, and your meals will likely be provided by your parents. There’s probably also free internet and utilities provided to you.
As a working partner or parent, you get to save money on renting an additional property, and because you’re eating home-cooked meals, you won’t be wasting money on expensive takeout or restaurant food. Saving money is something we all seem to want to do, isn’t it?
4. Quality time with the family.
Any relationship requires time and attention in order for it to grow and flourish. How much time do you have available to put in your family or relationship? If you have a partner or family that you value, chances are that you won’t want to spend every day of the workweek apart from each other.
By living at home and commuting each day, you ensure that you see your family and spend some quality time with them every single day. Even just half an hour with the kids each day is better than none. Life is not all about working or studying. It’s also about connecting, growing, and enjoying life.
5. It’s good for mental health (change of scenery).
How often will you get out and about if you quit commuting and stay closer to work or college during the week? Your time out and about will probably be limited. Being stuck in one place all of the time can’t be good for a person’s mental health. In fact, it can lead to depression and listlessness.
If you want to ensure that your mental health is promoted and that you’re always in a good mental head space; commuting every day might help. As they say, a change of scenery is as good as a holiday. It’s excellent for mental health just to get out and about every day, even if it’s only for a bit.
6. Less risk of an unbalanced work-home life.
Would you say that you live a balanced lifestyle? Having a balance between your home life and work life is essential for overall happiness. If you want to ensure that you separate work and home life effectively, try to live away from the office. Create some distance and separation between where you live and where you work. Commuting every day instead of moving for your job can really prove beneficial in this regard.
7. You get a bit of exercise into your day.
What if I told you that commuting would be good for your weight loss and fitness goals? That would be great news, wouldn’t it? As it turns out, when you commute to work or college, there’s a bit of exercise involved. You walk from one subway station to the next, or you run up a flight of stairs en route to your office building or school. It might not be a full workout, but for some, it’s the only exercise they get!
8. Potential to boost your mood.
Do you start the day in a good mood? Did you know that a simple daily commute could benefit your mood? Just getting out and about for a few minutes every day can do wonders for your mood. When you walk past people and greet them good morning or chat with someone briefly on the subway train, it can really boost your mood. What could be better than joining the morning commute with thousands of other people each morning if it puts you in a good mood?
9. Gives you time to unwind before easing into the evening.
After a long day of work or a hard day of college, it’s normal to feel pent up, frustrated, irritated, and a bit bedraggled. How can you alleviate these feelings? For most people, it’s about having some time to clear your mind, catch your breath and think about things. While commuting from work, you can spend the time unwinding and relaxing so that by the time you get home, you are ready to spend quality time with your family, friends, or partner. It’s a great way to ensure that you never take out your work stresses on those that you love.
10. You get to make a home and enjoy it.
If you choose to stay closer to work or college during the week, you may find yourself living in temporary accommodation. The problem with this is that you cannot really make it a home. You cannot paint the house, decorate, or truly make it yours. If yo u choose to keep your home and commute to work each day, you get to settle into your home and actually enjoy.
Last Word
Whether you already commute on a daily basis or are just considering it, the benefits thereof are undeniable. These are just 10 of the benefits of commuting – I believe that there are many more. I, for one, am quite surprised at just how many benefits and advantages are attached to commuting to and from work or college every day! Try it out – the daily commute could change your life for the better.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who share their experiences and knowledge about the "Seven F's of Life".
JC Franco
JC Franco is a New York-based editor for Lifevif. He mainly focuses on content about faith, spirituality, personal growth, finance, and sports. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing. He is a certified tennis instructor who teaches in the New York City Metropolitan area. In terms of finance, he has passed the Level I exam of the CFA program.