Commuting to work during and after the pandemic

Many of us haven’t been in the office consistently, or at all, since March 2020. Our lives have been affected and frontline workers have been instrumental in ensuring it has been as normal as possible. Those at the forefront of the pandemic have worked tirelessly and, with their hard work and the general public’s obedience, office workers are slowly transitioning back into work.

For a lot of us, the commute will be as it always was, sitting in traffic while listening to your favourite music. However, for some, there will be differences and guidelines to follow. Wearing a mask, socially distancing, and using hand sanitiser are three of things that have been around for a long time now, but there may be more you have to do to stay safe, such as taking a COVID test.

Public transport use has gone down dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic, due to lockdowns and people staying at home. According to the Office of National Statistics, for bus journeys alone, there was a 57% decrease from the period of January to March 2020 to the same period in 2021. Now that more is open and people are starting to do things, buses and trains are becoming busier.

If you use public transport, there are many ways you can protect yourself and others. Along with the usual distancing and wearing masks, you can avoid touching door handles for longer than necessary, using our very handy door opening tool. This is a great way to ensure that you are being as safe as you can when opening and closing doors. This tool is especially useful when you are back in the office. You can personalise it to make sure it doesn’t get mixed up with anybody else’s possessions. If you have someone who is vulnerable or worried about going back to work, this would make them feel a lot better.

Getting up five minutes before you start work is one of the perks of working from home. A lay in might not seem like the most productive way to spend the extra time, but being well-rested and awake when you start the work day is definitely useful! Unfortunately, you don’t get the same luxuries when you have to go into work. Getting up earlier, spending more time getting ready, and the journey to the office can mean your alarm is earlier than you want it to be!

The commute can feel like a drag and sometimes you need a boost to keep you going. Most of us go for a coffee to provide that much-needed caffeine and what better way to carry this than our personalised takeaway coffee cup. This stylish cup is made from 50% bamboo fibre and 50% PP and it comes with a lid and grip, to keep the heat in the mug and not on your hand. Re-usable and made from renewable materials, this is a great way to do your bit for the environment, in not contributing to the 2.5 billion takeaway cups being thrown out every year.

As wonderful as the taste of coffee is, it is just as important to keep hydrated. There are many health problems with being dehydrated, such as headaches and feeling drowsy, so it is vital that you drink a lot of water during the day. Our personalised water bottle is a stylish, practical way of keeping your water intake on track, while also avoiding the cups, glasses, or mugs in the office. With a scale on the bottle, there is no excuse for not drinking enough! With a flip-top lid and a carry loop, it is a useful companion for the working day.

The last 18 months have been difficult for a lot of us, whether we had to go without seeing family for months or even suffering from the virus itself. We are all hopeful that the end is in sight and as more people are vaccinated and vulnerable people are protected, we will soon go back to normal. Part of this is going back into work and with our advice and useful products, we can all do our bit to help.