1 in 3 find commuting 'relaxing'

The hours upon hours many of us spend each week to get to and from work are the source of stress and frustration – but also of joy and relaxation, the Antwerp Management School (AMS) reports. 

Next Generation Work, a research group at AMS, interviewed 1,170 employees about their commuting habits. While almost one in three say the daily ritual adds to their stress levels, a slightly larger group admits they find the commute 'relaxing': a daily moment of 'me-time'. Commuters who regularly experienced traffic congestion were more likely to report stress rather than relaxation.  

Next Generation Work says the figures back up its plea for more flexibility in the workplace – breaking the link between our work and the fixed times and places we do it in. If commuting into work becomes a choice rather than an obligation, it is more likely to be experienced as a joy rather than a burden. Yet only 35% of Belgian employees have access to home-working. Co-working spaces remain rare in the country.