TEXAS — For many, traveling on high-traffic roadways to get to work can often feel like an extension of the job itself. A new national study ranked three Texas metros in the top 20 of “burnout belts.”
A study by AMFM Healthcare surveyed 3,002 drivers across the U.S. and asked them which commutes contributed the most to burnout. The study revealed that making the trek to and from the cities plays a big role in the mental health of employees.
Texas metros that made the list include the commute from Round Rock to Austin at No. 16, Frisco to Dallas at No. 13 and Katy to Houston at No. 9.
AMFM Clinical Director David Asch tells us the commute can add unpaid hours to the workday, causing more stress that can carry over into work and personal lives. Results also showed that as cities expand and more workers live farther from their jobs, the experience is becoming increasingly common.
“It’s a growing reality for people as they’re trying to move away from that busy urban stress…so people are moving to suburbs in cheaper areas,” Asch said. “We’re noticing a big trade-off where they’re actually getting a lot less time in these cheaper, nicer lives that they’re trying to build for themselves.”
Experts recommend commuters change their mindset about their commute by dedicating that time to something productive safely. For example, listening to a podcast that you wanted to learn about or dedicating the time to listening to a specific audiobook so that drivers feel like time wasn’t wasted.
“Finding ways to use that time effectively is one of the ways that we’re going to get through it,” Asch said.