When we’re choosing a place to live, our commute time tends to tumble down the list of priorities.  Our ride to work often ranks far below things like square footage, number of bathrooms, and stainless steel appliances.  However, your commute can wreck your happiness.

Why does this happen?  Can other factors balance out the negativity?  How MUCH does a long commute affect your satisfaction?  And most importantly, what do we do about it?

More Commute = Less Satisfaction

Let’s start with the basics – getting to work is a drag.  Anyone who has an hour long drive to and from their job can tell you that.  However, plenty of people assume it’s just a small annoyance, and doesn’t have a lasting effect on your overall life satisfaction.

This is incorrect.

Empirically, having a long commute systematically lowers subjective well-being.  Accounting for other variables, including the quality of the home, job, and means of transportation, the results hold true.  Many studies correlate high commute times with increased stress and social isolation, and consistently rank it among modern life’s largest annoyances.

However, when it comes to deciding where to live, we don’t give it enough weight.  Psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis calls this a ‘weighing error,’ a common mistake where we lose sight of what’s really important. Continue reading “Your Commute Can Wreck Your Happiness” →