Is the hot weather getting to you when you are trying to work? The problem in the UK is we are just not that used to the hot weather, so when it does start to heat up in summer it can be a struggle to stay focused on work.
Unfortunately for University students, something called exams also tends to be in summer, though in most cases it is out of the way by May. This year my exams were finishing on the 16th of June and by this point the sun was starting to send heat my way, and making revision a lot more hard.
In this post, I aim to share 9 different tips for when you need to get work done, but it feels too hot to work.
Start early and work late.
In the summer, the mornings and evenings are the coolest parts of the day, so it is a clever idea to change your schedule to accommodate this. Maybe try waking up earlier, getting some work done in the morning and then take a quick midday nap. You could then get back to the work that you did not do in the morning when it begins to cool down in the evening.
Drink water
It is extremely important to drink water every day. On hot days however this importance exponentially increases. It is so much easier to dehydrate on hot days. One reason is that you lose more water when your body needs to cool itself down (through sweating). Another one is that hot weather saps your energy. This means you may be slower to get up and grab water even though you know that it is important for you.
To avoid this, make sure that when your glass becomes empty of water, get up soon after and refill it. You could also buy a larger water bottle to put near where you are working and reduce the number of trips needed – good for lazy people like me. You could even add ice to your water to help you stay cooler.
Have many breaks
When working at any time it is good to have breaks. When it is hot, your energy usage is a lot larger, meaning your focus does not last for as long. It is therefore important to take breaks often and try and find somewhere cool to relax and recharge. Maybe consider having a small snack in these breaks to keep your energy up. Mixed nuts can be a nice healthy snack.
Take a cold shower
This relates to the earlier tip. If you are hot, then maybe a cool shower can relax and cool you down, making you feel more awake for your next session of work. It does not have to be on the coldest setting. I find that even a loop warm shower can refresh me for the rest of the day.
Snack
When in the heat, it is important to eat regularly to keep energy levels high. The suggestion is that eating certain foods can cause extra heat generation during the digestive process, causing you to heat up. Sometimes this may mean that you should eat less sugary, protein rich and fibrous foods since these are harder to digest. It is important to make sure you are still consuming all the necessary nutrients in the right quantities. BBC Goodfood have an article about nutrition in heat here.
Another suggestion is eating spicy foods. This is extremely common in hot countries. You may wonder why spicy food is good in hot weather, considering it ‘heats’ your mouth up. This is the exact reason. Spicy food is a good thing to eat as it triggers a neurological response causing you to feel warmer, therefore triggering sweating. Sweating is one of your body’s main temperature regulation mechanisms and helps to cool you down.
Open windows at night, close curtains in the daytime
At night, it is cooler, therefore it is beneficial to make sure the windows are open (as much as you feel comfortable) to allow the house to cool down. Make sure to check whether the forecast is rain because it is not enjoyable to have a soggy carpet or curtains when it rains in while you are asleep. In the daytime it can be useful to shut the curtains or blinds as this can reduce the heating effect that the sun can have inside your house. If it is hotter outside, then close the windows but if it is similar temperatures then having a breeze through the house can help cool you down as I cover in the next point.
Get a fan
Having a fan can help you cool down thanks to the airflow it causes. The breeze from a fan can cool you down as it increases the movement of heat out of your body. (LiveScience) Another option is to get air conditioning, though this can be much more expensive. If heat is not a regular occurrence over extended periods, for example in the UK, then it may not be cost-effective to do so.
Use ice
If you are extremely hot, then you can grab an ice pack out of the freezer (freezing water inside a plastic bag works as well and is just as reusable if you do not overfill and break it. I have managed to split open a metal water bottle by freezing it and forgetting about it). There are tutorials online on the process of making DIY icepacks and although these are ‘for pain relief’ they work for cooling yourself down instead. The best place to use these are near large blood flow as this can help transfer the cooling round your body using your blood natural flow. (How to Make Your Own Ice Pack)
Improve your sleep
Reducing how hot you are while sleeping can help you have a productive day. It is important to realize that having a bad night’s sleep can set you up badly for the day ahead. Making sure your sleep habits are perfected are of upmost importance. Maybe make sure your curtains are dark enough, so you don’t get woken too early. You could also buy a facemask instead if better curtains are hard to get.
Hope this article helps you keep cool and productive in the hot weather. Let me know in the comments if you have any thoughts on this.
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