{"id":89181,"date":"2024-07-01T15:37:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T15:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/?post_type=news&p=89181"},"modified":"2024-07-01T15:37:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T15:37:28","slug":"these-are-the-most-stressful-cities-for-commuters-data-shows","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/news\/these-are-the-most-stressful-cities-for-commuters-data-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"These Are The Most Stressful Cities For Commuters, Data Shows"},"content":{"rendered":"

The American Institute of Stress<\/a><\/strong> defines a stressful situation as one that most commonly causes \u201cphysical, mental, or emotional strain or tension.\u201d For millions of Americans that likely sounds a lot like their daily commutes, especially among those who are being required to return to the office after an extended period working remotely.<\/p>\n

According to the website Workable.com, the most unruly commutes can adversely affect one\u2019s mental health, with the longest daily to-and-from trips often disrupting one\u2019s life\/work balance and leading to burnout. Aside from the inconvenience and frustration suffered from sitting in one\u2019s vehicle going no place fast, difficult commutes can trigger anxiety caused by what amounts to a loss of control, leading to feelings of powerlessness and frustration. Perhaps not surprisingly, a University of Montreal study showed that those subjected to the longest commutes have a more likely chance of experiencing\u00a0chronic stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Increased congestion on the nation\u2019s highways, which combined with lingering high gas prices, and rising\u00a0auto insurance rates<\/a>\u00a0and ongoing operating costs are making Americans\u2019 daily commutes more arduous than ever. But motorists in some parts of the nation \u2013 and in other countries \u2013 tend to fare more or less anxious behind the wheel than others.<\/p>\n

Measuring Highway Stress Levels<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to a study of commutes in the 30 largest cities in North America, the U.K. and Europe conducted by the personal finance site\u00a0MoneySuperMarket.com<\/a>, the most-horrific of the bunch in the U.S. can be found in the Los Angeles metro area, which the website regards as the second most stressful daily ride on the planet, second only to London.<\/p>\n

Global metropolitan areas are ranked according to their applicable \u201cStress Scores,\u201d which were determined by meticulously using monitors to track the heart rate (BPM) and heart rate variance (HRV) experienced by 300 drivers over a five-day period across the 30 largest cities in North America, the U.K. and Europe. For the uninitiated, the former is a measurement of how fast one\u2019s heart is beating, which is generally lower when one is relaxed, while the latter measures the time between beats per minute, with lower levels indicating higher stress levels.<\/p>\n

Drivers in London, which tops the chart, recorded a Stress Score of 92 out of a possible 100 points. Traffic congestion was found to raise the average Londoner\u2019s resting heart rate by 25% (18 BPM), while also causing heart rate variance to dip by 33%.<\/p>\n

Traffic was cited as being a major source of highway stress by 54% of respondents, followed by the questionable ability of other drivers at 52% and road layouts and conditions at 26%.<\/p>\n

By contrast, Stockholm is least stressful major city for commuters with a score of just 12\/100. This results from a nominal 3% increase in heart rates while driving and a slim 5% drop in HRV, both of which indicate low stress levels behind the wheel. We\u2019re featuring lists of the most, and least onerous round trips both here and abroad below.<\/p>\n

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Coping Skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How to best cope with the burgeoning burnout resulting from an especially grueling daily battle through traffic congestion? Assuming either taking public transportation or carpooling is not an option, the recruiting firm Robert Half offers these tips to help car-bound workers deal with the inevitable traffic tie-ups:<\/p>\n

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