If you’re in the American workforce, you probably hate your commute. Depending on the length, it could, quite literally, be driving you crazy. The longer your daily trip takes, the more negative effects it can have on your mental and physical health.

The average American’s commute is about 25.5 minutes each way, which adds up to around 8 and a half days a year. So what exactly can all those hours in the car do to you?

Make You Feel Tired AF

If your commute is longer than 45 minutes each way, it’s probably impacting your quality of sleep. Exhaustion can have a barrage of negative effects on your body, including weight gain and a weakened immune system. Fatigue can also impair your judgment and brain function in general. Not exactly great for business.

Kill Your Zen

One word: traffic. Navigating rush hour traffic causes a spike in blood pressure and stress levels. Public transportation can have the same effect—if your daily ride is long and requires transfers, stress levels skyrocket.

Bye, Bye Productivity

With all that stress, anxiety, and fatigue, you think you’re going to perform at peak levels as soon as you walk into the office? Wrong. It takes time to mentally unwind and prepare for the day. So naturally your motivation and productivity both take a major blow.

Give Your Mental Health a Beating

Unfortunately, all these issues blended together can take a major toll on your overall happiness and life satisfaction. Long commutes chisel away at the time you could be spending exercising, pursuing hobbies, or relaxing with family. Time scarcity in itself is a huge contributor to stress and anxiety levels. Without intervention, this cycle could chip away at your sanity bit by bit.

While the prognosis may seem a tad bleak, there are ways to fight it. Excluding the possibility of moving closer to your place of work, you may be able to limit the number of hours commuting each week.

Some companies are becoming more progressive and flexible with hours worked and where they’re worked. Maybe you’d be more productive working from your dining room table, the town library, or a local coffee shop. Or maybe your brain functions more effectively at 7am rather than 9 o’clock sharp. A recent study in the UK says that people with a “flexible working arrangement” are actually less likely to be stressed or depressed. They also tend to be the most efficient—having five more productive days a year than those who work in an office during regular hours. It could be worth having a discussion with your boss about adjusting your schedule for a day or two a week. You’ll never know until you ask!

If cutting down your commute time just isn’t possible, try making the best of it instead. Podcasts and audiobooks are a great way to use that time wisely. Choose a couple educational and motivational ones that will get you in the best mindset for the day ahead. You can also soothe the monotony of your commute by varying the route you take. Maybe five extra minutes in the car will be worth taking the scenic route for once!