5 Tips on Staying Calm in a Tube Strike

Londoners resilience tested again

Londoners face a 48 hour tube strike tonight, with another planned for the same time next week. Anyone who's ever commuted into the Capital will understand just how frustrating and inconvenient tube strikes can be. There will be hordes of hardened commuters dreading the drastically extended journeys from home to work and back again, and will be busy finding new ways to get around, taking to the streets on bikes, on foot, on skates and skateboards. They'll be readying themselves to be crammed onto buses instead of the tubes, maintaining the no eye contact rule whilst packed into the most intimate positions, such as the nose in armpit – which is the one I always find myself in, being vertically challenged as I am.

Tube strikes do have a real impact on businesses, not only on the hours lost as workers battle to get in arriving late and leaving early, but in all kinds of ways as we have found ourselves. We had planned a launch party for our fabulous new Flourish at Work online assessment tool to take place next week – which is now due to be the first day of the second strike. After all our carefully planning finding a date when we're all available, organising a venue and catering, then sending invitations to all of our lovely clients, contacts and friends, we're now faced with the "Do we postpone, or don't we?" dilemma. So frustrating. It's certainly testing our resilience!

Ways to build your resilience

This got us to thinking about ways we can all stay calm in a tube strike.

1. Plan your alternative routes beforehand. People always say only travel if it's really necessary but if it's not practical to take time off and let it all just pass you by, weigh up your options and if you do have to venture into the city leave early and be prepared for long queues. Do what you can and don't worry about what you can't, this will give you a sense of taking control and make you feel calmer.

2. Remember that London is a beautiful city and as you hurtle along in the tube every normal day you're missing all of that. Make the most of that walk/cycle/skate and think of the added exercise benefits, take time to spot all the new buildings sprouting up on the skyline; can you see the walkie-talkie, the cheese grater, the shard etc. Fingers crossed the sun will be shining and our majestic capital will be showing itself at its best.

3. Keep in mind that everyone has the right to protest for better pay and conditions, which is what the tube workers are doing after all, it's just that their strikes cause more impact than most. Try not to be bitter and remember everyone's trying to make it in this city, the real winners are the ones who keep positive and are content.

4. Stay up to date with Transport for London's handy beta page - which they like to keep hidden from us for some reason - in case you want to periodically panic check in style, but keep breathing to reduce any anxiety.

5. Keep reminding yourself it might be a nightmare now, but it's only 48 hours. Strikes are normally short lived affairs and before you know it they're over, so be grateful for all the times that the tube - which is over 150 years-old after all - is running without any problems.

Share your resilience and coping strategies with us

We hope our tips give you a little something to help you through, let us know how you get on with them and if they worked for you. We'd love to hear your tips too so please do share.

If you'd like to find out more about our Flourish at Work tool click here and if you'd like to attend our launch party please get in touch at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Building resilience