Daily Commute: The Tube Survival Guide for Summer

Summer is creeping up on London, so the temptation is to quit your job rather than a daily survival on the Tube. If only we all had six weeks off to refresh, recharge and relax? Sadly, most of us are locked in so we have to squeeze into those sweaty, crowded carriages in summer. Here are a few tips to help you survive the Tube this summer…

Face Mist

Struggling to cool down and don’t really want to reach your desk with sweat dripping from your face? Try a facial mist, a simple solution to keep you cool and refresh your skin without ruining your make up.

It is ideal for day or night and before or after sport, and will quickly become a staple in your bag and desk drawer. Its skin-boosting magic might even be good enough to hide the effects of last night’s pub crawl. If you would rather not buy one, a spray bottle filled with water works just as well.

Water

Water is absolutely essential as the temperature rises. You may not think you will be thirsty but you need to keep the fluids up anyway. Being underground in high temperatures is enough to make anyone feel a little faint and if anything goes wrong with the journey you certainly do not want to be stuck in a tunnel for hours on end without a bottle of H2O.

Make sure you fill up before leaving home or the office. There is no down side!

 

Plan Your Route

Summer in London is the perfect time to avoid getting the Tube altogether. One way to survive it is to not get on the Tube at all! This is the season to grab your walking shoes, a bottle of water, and some sunscreen and get to know the city a little better.

You may just realise how close Bank and Monument stations are after all or stumble across a hidden gem. Transport for London has published a new Tube map showing how long it takes to walk between each station  http://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map-zones-1-3.pdf.

It has also put together a list of 50 journeys between stations that should actually be quicker on foot than by the Tube. http://content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map-journey-times.pdf

And naturally enough, leaving a little earlier will make the tip less stressful and hopefully you’ll be the first one in the office. More time for breakfast!

A Smile

The sweaty, humid months are when you are most likely to have one of those days when you feel the world is against you no matter how brightly the sun is shining. Someone else may be having one of those days / months / weeks / years too.

The simple act of a smile may brighten someone’s day. Next time Nathan from Accounts glares at you for doing your make-up on the 7.54am train from Epping to Bank, just smile back.

You might make his day and improve yours in no time. It’s all about survival.

 

 

by Elle Linton

The post Daily Commute: The Tube Survival Guide for Summer appeared first on Felix Magazine.