Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsCommutingProductivityWellbeing

Commuting by train could be a boost for the brain

by Personnel Today 28 Sep 2021
by Personnel Today 28 Sep 2021 Lana Iva / Shutterstock
Lana Iva / Shutterstock

Research has found that travelling to and from work by train offers psychological benefits for both wellbeing and cognitive function as the rail industry encourages commuters to return.

Research conducted as part of the rail industry’s “Get Back on Track” campaign found that people are expecting improved mental health (48%), work-life balance (46%), productivity (46%), motivation (47%) and fitness (51%) as they head back to their workplace.

Seasonal and peak train journeys increased by 30% last week compared to August, as 77% of hybrid workers said they planned to return to their workplace.

At the start of the pandemic, those who began working from home (WFH) said they ate more snacks (50%), worked with the television on (33%) or spent more time on social media (26%).

But now, nearly half of these workers now find these things a hindrance to productivity. In line with this, 43% of hybrid workers admit to facing more distractions when WFH compared to just 29% in the workplace. The biggest distractions were cited as household admin (35%), cooking meals and taking food breaks (30%) and home deliveries (29%).

The research, conducted by Opinium this month, surveyed 3,001 UK adults in work and was demographically representative of the working population.

Travel disruption: employers’ questions answered

Hybrid working: Resources for employers

When delving deeper into the neuroscience of train travel, Joseph Devlin, professor of cognitive neuroscience at Univeristy College London, found that the distractions and additional tasks created as a result of working from home made it hard for people to focus, impaired their ability to learn and lowered their wellbeing.

Prof Devlin said: “The commute delineates boundaries between home and work-life and can be used to switch one off and transition to the other, which can have a positive impact on cognitive performance, wellbeing and productivity. Being able to escape the humdrum of the same environment gives your brain a wake-up call.

“Just going to work generates more diverse experiences than working from home, especially through interactions with other people. This greater novelty helps generate new memories, making each day more unique, sharpening recollection and reducing this ‘brain fog’ so commonly experienced during lockdown.”

Almost half (46%) of those polled agreed that the office environment puts them in better mindset for work, rising to 55% of 18 to 34-year-olds. Respondents felt that they are likely to be more productive when in the workplace as they can ask colleagues in person rather than scheduling a call (45%) and are able to bounce ideas off colleagues more easily (40%).

Nearly a quarter of hybrid workers cited “me time” (23%) as one of the biggest benefits of their commute. More than half (55%) felt that the biggest benefit of travelling by train is the scenery out of the window, and a further quarter (24%) say the movement of the train brings a sense of calm.

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more human resources jobs

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
Surgeon sounds alarm over delays in carpal tunnel treatment
next post
What does the future of recruitment look like?

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Travel disruption: employers’ questions answered

26 Jul 2022

Train drivers vote to strike over pay

11 Jul 2022

Train drivers across three companies to strike over...

10 Jun 2022

The outdated views of the anti-hybrid working brigade

9 Jun 2022

Workers in London say they enjoy the office...

9 Jun 2022

Tube strike on 6 June to see 4,000...

24 May 2022

Are we happy now? New research Sugar-coats working...

6 May 2022

PwC staff to benefit from extended summer hours...

5 May 2022

Union announces ballot for ‘biggest rail strike’

20 Apr 2022

Commuters grapple with rail fare hike as Tube...

1 Mar 2022

  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+