How to Stay "Chill" When the Weather’s Hot

Is it hot enough for you? How are you coping with the heat? Heat can be an extreme and hostile environmental element that taxes our bodies and our coping abilities. As an unpredictable and uncontrollable environmental stressor that restricts our movements and requires significant adaptive energy, it’s a big, hot deal. So no, you’re not being a sweaty, whiny baby if it’s getting to you. In fact, recognizing the effects of heat and actively coping with it can reduce its negative impacts on you and your relationships and even turn you into a potential lifesaver.

It certainly pays to take heat waves seriously from a health perspective. Hot weather stresses the body as it works to regulate body temperature. When high temperatures cause the body to lose too much water and salt, it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Dizziness, nausea, headache, heart pounding, shortness of breath, and increased sweating are symptoms of heat exhaustion and the need to get to a cool area and rest. Heat exhaustion can progress to even more serious heat stroke. Signs of heat stroke include reduced sweating, confusion and slurred speech, loss of consciousness, and even brain damage and death.

Admittedly, heat waves are out of our control, adding to our stress. But we do have some power and control in how we respond to it. There’s an old American saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and this certainly applies to coping and heat waves. It makes good sense to seek out air-conditioned locations, stay hydrated, and watch what you eat and drink (alcohol, caffeine, and fatty food can make you hotter). Wearing loose, light-colored clothing and altering your routines to reduce your exposure to high temperatures and hot cars is also recommended.

Knowing the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke can turn you into a potentially life-saving bystander. Although you may be distracted by your own discomfort, notice those around you. Distraction is the enemy of the first step of bystander intervention (which is noticing that someone is in potential danger). Learn who is at high risk and the signs of heat-related illness so you know when you should intervene. Being an effective bystander requires noticing and recognizing the signs of heat-related illness, but also knowing what to do, taking responsibility (don't assume someone else will act), and doing it. Learn more about how to respond here.

It probably doesn’t take a psychologist to tell you that heat can affect your mood, your relationships, and your productivity. Heat can make us grumpy and irritable, less helpful and cooperative, and more prone to conflict. Heat can also affect performance because high temperatures are known to negatively impact concentration, thinking, and our ability to coordinate with others (teamwork). This means that it’s important to cut people lots of slack during a heat wave. Attribute their uncharacteristic or greater irritability and/or reduced attentiveness and productivity to the heat. Don’t take it personally or assume they’re being lazy, a baby, or rebellious. Temporarily lower your expectations and adjust performance goals if you’re a manager, teacher, parent, partner, or coach. Apologize if the heat temporarily turned you into a sweaty jerk. Rather than letting the heat come between you and others, use it to connect with them. Talk about the heat and how you’re coping. Social support is a powerful antidote to stress. Commiserate and share ideas and information to help beat the heat.

Finally, it’s important to appreciate that individual differences matter. Who we are as individuals affects our experience of the physical environment. In this case, individual differences matter. For example, age matters, and the very old and the very young are more likely to experience heat-related illness. People with asthma, diabetes, lupus, or heart conditions may experience increased symptoms and increased risk of heat-related illness. Heat can also aggravate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Some medications affect temperature regulation or even increase heat production. Some people simply don’t tolerate high temperatures, as well as others. Sensitivity to how individual differences interact with this extreme environmental element can help you take action on behalf of yourself or others.