Northumbria University - Forewarned, forearmed

Checking for delays before travelling significantly reduces stress, research confirms. Divided into pairs, participants in a study at Northumbria University were asked to plan a rail journey between two stops on the London Underground. However, only one member of each pair was told beforehand of two significant delays to the most direct route. Those who had no prior knowledge of the disruptions were found to have suffered 10 times more stress than their informed counterparts. Jason Ellis, reader in psychology at Northumbria and the study leader, said that the findings showed that for a calmer journey, it is always best to plan ahead.