On our way to work, most of us listen to music, a podcast, or an ebook, read if we are not driving, daydream, sleep or even watch Netflix on our phones to pass the time. South Africans spend up to 88 minutes per day commuting to work, crowded buses, congested roads, and overcrowded trains. Although it sounds logical to want to distract oneself from this misery, a 2016 study published by Harvard Business School found that these distractions add to emotional exhaustion rather than help us to cope.
The researchers suggest that employees who entertain themselves during a commute instead of mentally preparing themselves for the workday will have less job satisfaction and frustration at work. On the other side of the coin, people who spend time planning their workday during the commute have less frustration at work and are more likely to succeed in their long term goals. Employees who do not usually prepare mentally for the workday, also experienced increased job satisfaction when they planned for their workday instead of listening to music or distract themselves otherwise.
At Faircape Shuttles we don’t prescribe what passengers that use our staff transport services should or shouldn’t do during their commute, as long as all the passengers in the shuttle’s needs are respected. If you are one of the people that need calm and focus on being more effective during the workday, our drivers will also be more than happy to create the right atmosphere.