Commuting when stressed

[WimbledonCyclist]

Recently my work has turned pretty hectic. I've got too many projects on the go, time pressure, competing demands from clients, and ongoing IT difficulties to add in more pressure and frustration. The result is that I've started taking the tube - cycling into the office when I need to start at 8am and then cycling back anytime between 7-9pm after a long day just seems too much. For some reason, I just feel I won't have enough concentration to be careful enough cycling around in London traffic for 45 minutes a time.

Trouble is that cycling was a good way to clear the mind, get some exercise and enjoy the commute rather than endure it.

That leads me to a more structural problem: when work and life are less stressful, "looking after oneself" seems easier: eating healthily, taking exercise, or even a cycle commute instead of the tube. Just when "looking after oneself" becomes essential to cope with times of more stress, it becomes harder too.

The only cycling-related point here is that I do miss my cycling commute, but just don't have the stomach for it at the moment. Anyway, end of litany.

Question: how tired or distracted can you still be and venture out into busy traffic on a bike, and at what point are you really too tired and distracted to commute by bike in busy traffic?

 

[ianrauk]

I find that commuting has the opposite effect on my work stress levels then yours. As with a lot of companies at the moment we are not doing that well for various reasons. Things are tough and stressful at work. But getting on the bike for the journey home gives me some great breathing space and 'me' time to clear out whats going round my head. By the time I get home I feel a whole lot better.

 

[WimbledonCyclist]

Maybe I explained myself badly: I think cycling is a great way of clearing the mind and getting to feel better. But after a hard day in the office (or several hard days), or very early in the morning, I wonder if it's safe to venture out on the bike.

A lapse in concentration or nodding off is OK when I'm on the tube, but when it happens as I cycle over the Elephant & Castle gyratory, or generally when cycling along the A3/A24 it's a bit of a problem. I suppose it's the fear of that kind of lapse in concentration caused by tiredness - that's the reason that long office hours sometimes keep me off the bike.

Downside is that I miss out on the benefits of the bike, and instead of "me-time" on the bike; I end up in a dank, noisy tube carriage instead.

When work pressures go down again, I'll be back on my bike. It's a strange world we live in (or maybe it's just my approach that's strange?).

 

[laertes]

Maybe try a different route that is more on the back roads - it might take a little longer, which would obviously be an issue, but your attention would be increased by having to make regular turns, and it would be safer. Better than the tube though.

 

[ttcycle]

Yeah I think that time on the bike would be good -maybe alternate some days off and some days on.

I would only stop commuting if I got sick or could feel the murmurings of acold coming on - feel that cycle commuting is great for working out and getting rid of stress.

 

[hackbike 666]

Must admit I've had some absolute nightmares when doing long shifts and being stressed although happily it is very rare.I think I can remember two absolute nightmare days.

Long shifts and being already tired (plus long stretches of work) adds to the stress with other worries.Plus not being fully fit for a long time didn't help.

Feel better than I did but I rarely drink now and my diet has improved.I also sleep better.

 

[Sailorchick]

I find that no matter how stressed/tired/bored I am at the end of the day, my cycle ride home wakes me back up, destresses me and I know I am a far nicer person to spend the evening with after the ride home. There are days when the last thing I want to do is get on my bike as I'm knackered after work but once on the bike that all changes.
Getting the tube/driving home would just add to the stress and I'm glad that I don't commute this way anymore.

 

[Maizie]

What's really annoying for me is that when we are busy and I get stressed, I inevitably end up with late meetings - I usually finish at 4pm. If I've got a meeting that's scheduled to finish at 5pm, and it's going to stick to that, then I will still ride. But if it's likely to overrun, or scheduled to finish after 5pm, then I go in the car - so that I can still get home at a reasonable time.
But it is the overrunning dreadful late meetings which leave me most in need of a stress-busting ride home...

 

[Plax]

I find that no matter how stressed/tired/bored I am at the end of the day, my cycle ride home wakes me back up, destresses me and I know I am a far nicer person to spend the evening with after the ride home. There are days when the last thing I want to do is get on my bike as I'm knackered after work but once on the bike that all changes.
Getting the tube/driving home would just add to the stress and I'm glad that I don't commute this way anymore.

+1
Yesterday I was knackered and had toothache. As soon as I got on the bike though I "forgot" I was tired and in pain until I got home. Then I had to go and pop a few pills and have a lie down!

 

[jonesy]

Unfortunately the one time I've fallen off and injured myself was at a particularly stressful time at work, on the way home late after a particularly bad day. I'm sure my mind wasn't fully on the ride. And since then I've noticed that the few occasions when I've had what might be considered near misses, or conflicts, have been when I've been stressed, tired, or unwell. There is a lot of evidence that exercise is good for stress and mental health more generally, but the times you most need to relieve that stress are the times when you most need to be paying attention to riding safely.

 

[hackbike 666]

Agreed....I think if I have incidents it's usually because I haven't read the road situation like a chess game.Generally though even after a long shift/early start the bike does liven me up.

I notice it's more conflicts as probably what I have shown on here as well.My patience goes right out of the window.Hopefully that's not too often.

 

[hackbike 666]

Perhaps I should have caught the train when things got bad.

 

[Willo]

Familiar tone here......as my life has changed (married, children, mortgage, more stressful job etc.) I've found that I don't always cope too well with balancing all the demands. In particular, my job has become much more stressful and busy over the last 3 or so years and I haven't always handled that in terms of 'switching off'. The counter for me is exercise (and the occassional blow out with a moan in the pub!). Basically, running, cycling or a trip to the gym really helps to lift the mood when things get on top of me. Of course there's a balance; my window of exercise time is between 0600 and 0700 and sometimes, I make things worse when another hour in bed would've been more beneficial. However, on the whole, exercise is as important to my mental wellbeing as to my phyical health. After an achilles injury prevented me running for a while, I added cycling and have found it great (if not a little more expensive than running)

 

[fossyant]

Staying off the stress bit, and focussing on feeling tired etc. and riding. We all jump on our bikes feeling a bit rough at times, but within those first few minutes, the HR is up and you soon feel much better. So be careful and warm up, even if physially tired, and you'll arrive at work or home feeling much better. Nothing like a few miles at 150 plus bpm, rather than 60 bpm sat in a car or tube.

 

[Gandalf]

I've been cycling for many years now, on an off, but have only started cycle commuting a few weeks ago. I'm afraid the experience so far has been to increase my stress levels. Every day I get on the bike in the full knowledge that I will experience countless dangerous overtakes, with prats screaming past with inches to spare, regardless of weather conditions.

I won't be beaten though.