Commuting Impacts Brits’ Mental Health, Reveals MBNA Thames Clippers Survey

LONDON, May 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Almost two thirds of Brits (61 per cent) say commuting causes them anxiety, with one in three (28 per cent) claiming it negatively affects their mental health.

With Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May 2018) well underway, MBNA Thames Clippers has surveyed the UK's commuters to find out how our daily journeys to and from work affect our stress levels.

For a fifth of Brits (19 per cent), it takes them several hours to recover from a stressful commute. One in five (21 per cent) say the impact of a stressful commute causes irritability with colleagues, and similar numbers say it means that they can't concentrate (18 per cent), feel emotional (18 per cent), or experience decreased productivity (19 per cent).

Traffic causes us the most anxiety during commuting (43 per cent) and one in five say crowds and having to stand for the journey are the most stressful elements (27 per cent and 24 per cent). Plus, more than one in ten (13 per cent) of us simply can't bear to be disconnected and named losing phone signal as the most stressful thing about their commute.

It's not just the logistics of getting from A to B that builds strain; it is this dead time in the day that we dwell on our worries, the top concerns we think about while travelling to and from the office are work itself (27 per cent), money (19 per cent) and health (11 per cent).

MBNA Thames Clippers polled commuters across the UK to understand what we need to ease the pain of commuting. According to the research, to wake us up in the morning we need the ideal combination of a cup of coffee (39 per cent), sunlight (31 per cent) and fresh air (28 per cent). However, as many of one in six of us experience regular commutes that are completely devoid of any fresh air, any exercise, a scenic route or even a seat.

As a result of the feedback, MBNA Thames Clippers is encouraging its commuters to Love Your Commute and is introducing a series of enriching activities beginning with complimentary mindfulness session on Thurs 17 May to make the most of the time spent onboard getting to and from work.

For further information - http://www.mbnathamesclippers.com.

Contact: mbnathamesclippers@sirencomms.com, +44-(0)20-7759-1150