For all the annoyances you might associate with commuting to and from work, there are some upsides to the daily commute. Not only can the commute allow for some precious alone-time, but it also provides a clear distinction between your workday and your personal time at home, contributing to a healthy balance between home and work.

For many of us, the pandemic has eliminated the daily commute because we’re working from home. That comes with its own benefits, like getting to wear soft clothes all the time or not having to worry about late public transit. But the downside is that it can be hard to tell when the workday is over, making it more difficult to simply relax at the end of the day.

Some people are starting to actually miss their pre-pandemic commutes, so much so that they’re adding a “fake commute” to their daily routine. Sound crazy to you? Perhaps, but you might just find it a nice way to prime your mind to get into “work mode” in the morning and “leisure mode” in the evening.

How to incorporate a fake commute into your day

Within the rich German vocabulary, there is the word “Feierabend,” which means the time between finishing work and starting leisure activities. We have lost our Feierabend with the pandemic, but we can get it back with the fake commute.

The most difficult part about integrating a fake commute into your day is carving out the time to do it in the mornings and evenings—it might mean you’ll have to wake up a bit earlier. Then, choose an activity that can serve as a placeholder for your daily commute. You might take a walk around the park, or do a short yoga routine before getting started with the workday. At the end of the day, engage in that same activity (or perhaps a different one) to ease your way out of the workday.

The idea of adding a fake commute to your day is the epitome of the strange year that has been 2020, but if it helps you keep your mental health in check, then we support it fully!