Public Transportitis

Since moving to the city, I have really struggled with my daily commute. So many people and absolutely no courtesy.  I have always struggled a bit with crowds, but this was unbelievable. On one instance I let 5 trains go by with out attempting to board and then when I finally did, the train filled so quick there was no space and I was pushed by a mass of people to continue on to the train regardless. I flipped! I had no control over it either, pure panic attack. Needless to say I didn't get on that train either.

Catching public transport in Sydney is definitely unpleasant. If you're not moving with the traffic, be prepared to get knocked down. Where people think their sports bag deserves a seat more so than a human being. And the regular crazies run screaming up and down the carriage. It doesn't surprise me then that some people from Sydney city can often be perceived as hard or even rude. They've grown up with this, I'm astounded that children in the city catch the public transport just like everyone else. No quaint little school bus bumping down the old dirt road like I was used to. They have to battle the human traffic with backpacks twice their siZe.

So what of the health implications of public transport? Well yes we are doing some good for the environment by cutting down on car emissions and reducing the number of car parks being built. But what of the stress attached to this daily regulation?

We should not underestimate the significance of overcrowding as a source of stress. Crowding  forces us into closer contact with strangers than we would often like, an invasion of personal space, prevents us form achieving our goals by getting where we want to get when we want to get there.  All of these stressors have the potential to range from unnoticeable to catastrophic depending on the conditions encountered on a particular journey. Many studies have confirmed the direct effect of crowding releases stress hormones into our bodies.

Stress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, digestive issues, elevated blood pressure, problems sleeping, physical aches and pains among a number of other aliments. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen diseases.

So how do we combat this? I've tried a few different things. Listening to relaxing music on my ipod during the commute, imagining I'm watch a movie and the Sydney underground is actually the New York tube station. Heading to work earlier to avoid crowds, seems everyone has the same idea though! 

Have any ideas on combating the stress of public transport?