Your Car is Making Your Mental Health Worse Every Day

Mental health statistics in Australia are not looking very good with the ‘bad news’ facts and figures. According to a report by the Black Dog Institute in 2019, every day there are 6 deaths caused by suicide in Australia. Not only this, but there are 30 more people who attempt to commit suicide each day. If this is not alarming, what is?

Mental health is declining, but on the brighter side, there are several organisations that are doing their best to create more and more awareness around the same. Universities are now more careful about integrating policies that do not create too much stress for individuals in order to lead to worse mental health.

Why is our mental health important? Why has the world suddenly realized the value and importance of being kind? Why do we need to be better selves? And what about “Life is tough, and people need to man-up”? The world is a ‘big, bad place’ only if we want it to be, and life is tough only if we make it so.
This is the reason business schools are instructing their students to learn more soft skills, which enable them to have better conversations and be better leaders (and people).

A research article found in PubMed Central has concluded that
‘Driving is a potential risk factor for a cluster of health behaviors and outcomes among middle-aged to older adults.’
PubMed Central® (PMC) is a free full-text archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM).

In the health and lifestyle magazine, Shape, Markham Held in 2017 mentioned three major pointers on why driving for more than two hours a day can ‘tank your health’. These pointers were about risks related to sitting for prolonged hours each day, stress that is faced by people on the road and how it is a waste of time doing something with complete energy, which can easily be replaced by alternatives.

The Times UK also highlighted a study that concluded longer driving hours was related to a drop-in brainpower in more than 93,000 middle-aged people. This study also saw similar results for the ones indulged in similar ‘sedentary activity’ where not much time was spent doing any physical activities.

Since it’s clear that we have a problem, we should now be looking at the potential solution:

Switch to Public Transport
This is an ideal way to stay efficient, punctual and have complete access to everywhere you want to go. Figure out options for the nearest train station or bus stop to your workplace and get your Opal card recharged.
Sell your old car to a car removal company in Sydney without any hassles. Car removal companies such as Active Car Removal give you enough reason to sell your car with cash offers up to $9999 for old vehicles.

Carpooling

This is not a genius idea but is something you could consider. Not only will you make some new friends, but you will also drive lesser than required. If you really are not the kind that likes public transport, or you need to have access to places where the NSW Train doesn’t take you, then this is what could work! You may switch cars as well. Even if you have two other people in your car, you save fuel, you save energy, you save costs and you explore other people’s playlists while you’re on your way!

Move Closer to Work

This is the most extreme option, but it can work for a lot of residents in Sydney. Why and how, and for whom? It’s simple. If you are a student, living single in Sydney, or can manage to move without much hassle, go ahead. Business Insider has mentioned studies that have also shown that living far from work and adding time to your commute can make you sad and ‘miserable’.

“Mental health matters just as much as physical health.”

On that note, it is important to understand that seeking help for your mental health problems should be just as simple as going to the GP when you get the flu. There is help, and if you feel you need to talk to someone, you can get in touch with Beyond Blue, an organisation that is helping destigmatize mental health in Australia.

References:

Active Car Removal. (2019). Gone in 60 Seconds Sydney's Quickest Car Removal Service Provider. [online] Available at: https://activecarremoval.com.au/cash-for-cars/ [Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].

Ding D, Gebel K, Phongsavan P, Bauman AE, Merom D (2014) Driving: A Road to Unhealthy Lifestyles and Poor Health Outcomes. PLOS ONE 9(6): e94602.

Held, M. (2017). https://www.shape.com. [online] Shape. Available at: https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/how-2-hours-day-driving-tanks-your-health [Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].

Ivancic, L., Perrens, B., Fildes, J., Perry, Y. and Christensen, H. (2014). Youth Mental Health Report, June 2014. Mission Australia and Black Dog Institute, Sydney.

Leake, J. (2017). Hours of driving leaves IQ on the skids. [online] Thetimes.co.uk. Available at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hours-of-driving-leaves-iq-on-the-ski... [Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].
Loudenback, T. (2017). Study: Adding 20 Minutes to Your Commute Makes You as Miserable as Getting a 19 Percent Pay Cut. [online] Inc.com. Available at: https://www.inc.com/business-insider/study-reveals-commute-time-impacts-... [Accessed 24 Jul. 2019].