With the morning work commute in full swing after the holidays, driving office workers might be forgiven for arriving at work already emotionally exhausted before their day even starts.

Spending an hour, or more, in traffic is enough to mentally drain the most energetic of driver.

In a recent blogpost, the team from MasterDrive outlines how this return to the dreaded commute can really hamper productivity in the workplace, that relies on mental alertness and energetic performance.

According to MasterDrive recent research is suggesting that increased traffic and stressful commutes prevent workforces from performing at their best.

And while remote or hybrid work practices are still in place, research by KPMG indicates there is a steady increase of employees returning to the office and that 72% of CEOs support office-based work.

The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, explains:

“As employees return to work, they will again contend with stressful morning commutes. It is estimated South Africans travel an average of 22km to work which takes 22 to 35 minutes, city dependent.

“Additionally, at the start of the year, traffic is often worse. Students are returning to school and university, employment increases and several other factors make January traffic particularly stressful. It is essential employers are cognisant of the effect of traffic, implementing techniques and improving skills to better handle the commutes and so that employees are less susceptible to starting the day drained.”

He says driver training is one of the most effective ways to help employees better manage traffic-induced stress.

“Defensive driving techniques teach drivers to identify reckless behaviour of other drivers as well as make provisions for it and reduce their own risk. It also teaches drivers that minimising interaction with these drivers will decrease the impact on one’s disposition than what engaging negatively will.

“When someone drives in the yellow lane and tries moving back into the lane in front of you, there are two ways you can react. You can block them, consequently escalating the situation and causing a surge in your stress levels, carrying these negative emotions with you throughout the day. Conversely, if you let them in, you will feel minor annoyance but soon forget about the interaction,” says Herbert.

He shares how driver training can further minimise stressful morning commutes:

• Drive looking 12 seconds ahead: avoid being surprised by dangerous actions of another driver and be proactive in your reaction.
• Following distances: allows for timely reactions and helps drivers account for the actions of others with minimal inconvenience.
• Planning: leave with plenty of time to spare in case there is unexpected congestion. Identify less congested routes, especially during loadshedding.
• Traffic regulations: disregarding rules of the road will only add financial stress of fines and also potentially remove your attention from driving as you scan for law enforcement officers.
• Do not be the offender: understanding why certain driving behaviours are dangerous will dissuade employees from taking risks and coming into conflict with others.
• Do not be a victim: learn how to minimise risk and respond should something unexpected occur. An accident creates emotional exhaustion for far more than one day.

Herbert concludes that while it is not possible to remove all stressful situations in traffic, it is possible to reduce this stress by knowing how to better respond to other drivers.

“A productive and happy workforce is the strength of all organisations and the onus is on the leadership to help create such a team.”