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What are people who work from home doing with the time they’re saving by not commuting?

We’re sleeping and exercising more, and spending more time with family, among other things.

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The lack of an everyday commute due to remote work means more time for family ... and more sleep, among other things.
The lack of an everyday commute due to remote work means more time for family ... and more sleep, among other things.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Americans are spending 60 million fewer hours traveling to and from work every day. 

That’s according to new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on how remote work has changed many of our routines. 

We asked some ex-commuters how they’re reclaiming that time. 

Shashi Bellamkonda rarely had time for the daily walks his doctor recommended. Until he started working remotely. Now, walking is part of his routine and it’s sparked another hobby. 

“I started taking a lot of pictures of flowers, I now know a lot of names of flowers,” he said.

He also talks to his parents in India more often, through a smart speaker. 

“It’s almost like dropping in and being in the same room together. So I do that very regularly, every day,” he said. 

The New York Fed looked at data from the American Time Use Survey and found that younger Americans are working out and going out more. Older folks are spending more time on child care and chores. 

For Callie Surber, working from home means more peaceful mornings. 

“I don’t have this like, ‘Ah I have to get in the car, I gotta get in at a certain time.’ Now there’s more time to like, get the kids breakfast, put their hair up in a ponytail,” she said.

Plus, her garden is in better shape. 

Another perk of losing the commute? Lots of us are sleeping more. 

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