Do You Fake It?

The commute that is? but i bet that title caught your attention! This week is Mental Health Awareness week with the theme of the week being all about connecting with nature. So one of the best ways to do it is to fake your commute!

Working from home comes with many benefits, one being no commuting. The time from bed to coffee to desk is significantly reduced. That’s got to be a good thing right?

Well, for me it hasn’t necessarily been a good thing. As my time working from elsewhere has increased I’ve realised I actually missed the commute. I’ve come to understand that the commute and the act of physically going into the office gave me that time to listen to a podcast or sing my heart out to some questionable 90’s boy band classics. The commute was the ‘me time’ I need to separate myself from home mode to work mode. The constant state of ‘home mode’ started to take a toll on how lethargic I was feeling especially when starting work. It was all too easy to dress for work on the top and wear PJ’s on the bottom. Something had to change, so I introduced a fake commute.

So what is a fake commute? Basically, every morning I allow myself a 20 min walk and I make sure this happens before I start work. So although I’m only staying local, I’m making sure I have that break outside before sitting at the desk, the fake commute as it were. Now, before work each morning. I get dressed, leave the house and spend a solid amount of time out in nature before starting my work day. It really does create that buffer between work and home time. In the mornings where the school run doesn’t allow for this to happen, I make sure I get out on my lunch break or have a fake commute home from work.

It is well documented that being out in nature can have a powerful effect on your mental state not only does it improve your mood and physical health but is also provides that time to de-stress, relax and practice a spot of mindfulness if that’s your thing.

If a 20 min walk is not for you, I would urge you to find something that you enjoy to do outside and use your extra time in the morning to do this. Whether that be a cup of coffee and a book outside, a bike ride, watering the plants or a run. Factoring time away from the house and getting outdoors will improve your mind-set and in turn improve your productivity.

For me, spending a conscious amount of time outdoors has really allowed me to appreciate and explore where I live and given me the opportunity to capture moments like the photo in this article, which was taken on my fake commute home from work with my daughter. It also provides us the time to talk about our days. I will always advocate for the fake commute. It really has made a big improvement to my life.

One thing to point out though, people will stare if you’re out walking and singing along to the Backstreet Boys. Best to keep those habits for the car.