Here’s What Happened When California Workers Stopped Commuting

PALOS VERDES, CA — More than 4.7 million Californians swapped commutes to work from home in the pandemic and a recent study by Swiss economists finds they are now healthier than before.

Working from home gives workers more time and flexibility to spend with their families, according to the findings published in the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.

The study identified the demotivating conclusion that long commutes ultimately destroy happiness; The stress doesn’t pay off.

Until this study’s release, economists did not consider how long commutes could make people unhappier but instead pictured commuting as a tradeoff that workers made to put up with earning a living. Based on the economic principle of rational choices, it was conventional wisdom that people could do the long drives if they were paid well, and that move ultimately improves well-being. However, the study’s results found this thinking was wrong. People who undertake regular long commutes are miserable — not motivated.

As offices shuttered and businesses transitioned workers to remote work in the pandemic, more people found work from home led to a healthier lifestyle. Some of the major shifts included reducing their risk of obesity, high blood pressure, stress, fatigue, as well as mental health problems.

In the study, 58 percent of respondents said that the biggest work from home benefit is spending time with family. It also found that 1 in 5 spends more time making healthier breakfasts.

SEE: An interactive map shows these health improvements in each state across the U.S.

The Swiss economists’ hypothesis is further reinforced by research highlighting how long commutes can significantly affect people’s physical health, too. For every hour spent commuting a person’s likelihood of becoming obese increases by 6 percent, as well as an increased risk of high blood pressure. Long commute times are linked to factors such as insufficient physical activity and poor sleep habits.

It appears that millions of workers across California and throughout the country are seeing the mental and physical health benefits of no longer having to commute, even as some companies and workplaces push workers to return to the office or into hybrid models.

Workers in each state have reduced their risk of developing mental and physical problems, such as obesity, high blood pressure, stress and fatigue, by choosing to work from home instead of hitting the road, according to 1AND1 Life, a mental health and wellness performance company. It conducted an analysis of official data from County Health Rankings and found that a whopping 4.7 million Californians who previously commuted more than an hour each day before the pandemic and are now working from home, are living healthier lives.

Even in Wyoming, which is the least populated in America, more than 73,000 employees who previously spent a minimum of 20 hours behind the wheel each week are now skipping the commute to work at home.

A survey of 1,000 employees by 1AND1 Life revealed that more than half (58 percent) said the biggest benefit of not having to commute to the workplace is spending more time with family, including moments such as starting the day with breakfast together. And, 20 percent said they sleep more hours each night.

Another 14 percent said they now have more time to get household chores done before the day starts when there’s no work commute involved. And nearly 1 in 10 love the added benefit of having a workout in the morning and including exercise to start the day.

People who used to commute also use this extra time without traveling to sleep: 46 percent of respondents say they can now sleep in a bit longer, while 20 percent spend that time making a healthy breakfast before work. Seventeen percent do housework during this time and another 17 percent get in their daily workout.

But not everyone likes the new routine.

Surprisingly, nearly 1 in 5 (18 percent) respondents said they actually miss commuting long distances to and from work. And almost half (45 percent) of those who still have long commutes said weight gain concerns them, given that studies show a direct link between these two lifestyle factors.

“Of course, there’s no denying that the pandemic has had devastating effects on the lives on many Americans,” Thomas Drew, Co-Founder & President of 1AND1 Life Inc., said in a statement.

“On a more positive note, however, there have been unexpected health benefits as a result of the change in peoples’ work habits, contributing to an overall happier, healthier lifestyle,” Drew said.

Patch Asks: Did you transition to work from home and ditch the commute? Are you happier? Do you feel healthier? What do you enjoy and is there anything you miss about the driving? Tell us in the comments.