Cycling to work and wellbeing are closely linked for me. I enjoy cycling, although that doesn’t mean I always feel like getting on my bike. There is the weather to think about, what I need to carry and the fact that Sheffield has rather a lot of hills. Yet I value the time between leaving home and arriving at work, before the responsibilities of the day begin.
My commute is around eleven miles there and back. It is a familiar journey, but it can feel different depending on the weather, how tired I am and what is on my mind. I’ve been thinking about how much that journey matters, particularly when working life can take up so much of our attention.
A bit of time to yourself
For many of us, the working day starts before we have actually arrived. We might check emails over breakfast, mentally run through everything we need to do or find ourselves worrying about a conversation that hasn’t happened yet. When we finish, work can follow us home through our phones or through the thoughts we keep turning over.
Cycling creates a useful space in between. While I’m on the bike, I’m occupied with getting where I need to go. There is the road, the traffic, the next hill and whatever the weather is doing. I can’t answer a message or add something to a list. For that part of the day, I’m less available, and there is something quite welcome about that.
As a counsellor, much of my working day involves listening closely and giving my attention to other people. I value that work, and I also value having time around it when there is no conversation to keep up and nobody expecting a response. Other jobs make different demands, but the need for a little space may be familiar.
Leaving the working day behind
Finishing work doesn’t always mean we have finished thinking about it. You can close the door and still be going over what happened, what you should have said or what tomorrow might bring. Sometimes you arrive home and realise you have barely noticed the journey.
I like having a physical journey between work and home. It gives the day somewhere to settle. That doesn’t mean I get off the bike with every worry resolved, or that a difficult day suddenly becomes a good one. But I have spent some time doing something else before moving into the evening. There can be value in that small gap, especially when it is tempting to move straight from one set of responsibilities to another.
Working from home can make this harder. Without a journey, there may be very little to mark the end of the day. A short walk or ride after switching off the computer might offer a similar pause, even if there is nowhere you need to get to.
Being outside, including when it rains
Cycling puts you in direct contact with the weather. Sometimes that is lovely. Sometimes it means arriving with wet feet and wondering why you thought it was a good idea. I don’t want to make commuting by bike sound like a peaceful ride through the countryside. Traffic can be frustrating, some roads feel uncomfortable and hills require effort.
There are also things to notice along the way. The change in temperature, the trees coming into leaf or losing their leaves, and the mornings getting lighter or darker. On a regular route, those changes become part of the journey. When much of the day is spent indoors, I appreciate having that time outside.
When looking after yourself becomes another job
We hear plenty about what we should be doing to look after ourselves. Exercise more, get outside, sleep better, spend less time on our phones. Even sensible suggestions can start to feel like another list we are failing to complete.
I don’t want cycling to become that. There will be days when I drive, when I’m tired or when riding simply doesn’t fit with what I need to do. Enjoying something doesn’t mean having to do it at every opportunity. I would rather keep cycling as something I want in my life than turn it into another measure of how well I’m doing.
Cycling to work also isn’t possible or appealing for everyone. Distance, health, caring responsibilities and access to a suitable route all make a difference. The useful question is whether there is a part of your day that could give you a little breathing space. That might be walking part of the way home, sitting quietly before going indoors or taking your lunch away from your desk.
Space to notice how you are
Having time to yourself can also help you notice how you are feeling. Perhaps you are more tired than you realised, still angry about something that happened or dreading the next working day. Those feelings deserve attention, particularly if they keep returning. A bike ride may give you a welcome break, but ongoing workplace difficulties may need changes, support or a conversation you have been putting off.
For me, cycling is something I enjoy that also fits into an ordinary working day. I need to get to work, and sometimes I can make that journey part of looking after myself. There will still be hills, rain and days when I would prefer a lift. But there is something satisfying about arriving under my own steam, having had a little time that belongs to me.
If work is taking up more of your headspace than you would like, I offer counselling for adults in Nether Edge, Sheffield, and online. Counselling can give you time to talk about what is happening and consider what you need.