I was on the phone recently with a woman who was bitterly complaining that it was too hot. Knowing that she’s in the MidWest and I’m in the SouthWest, I was curious to know if she was experiencing the same heat wave. When she told me her hot was 86 degrees, I was ready to get on a plane to join her. My hot has been ranging between 106 to 119, and so far it’s been 41 days of consecutive temps over 100. In my mind, she honestly didn’t know how good she had it.
Needless to say, I haven’t been very inspired to be creative lately despite air conditioning. I sit captive at my desk looking out the window at perfect blue skies and my green plants keep on life support with much watering. These are the summer days you dreamed of all winter. But, open the door and there’s an invisible wall of heat that dictates you close the door as quickly as you can.
Why live here? You rationalize it’s a trade off. What’s a little heat during the summer ( okay a lot of heat) when the rest of the country is up to their armpits in snow and it’s 30 below, and we have sunshine and the mid 70’s? We love it and so do all the snowbirds who flock here. They’re not ready to leave until back home gets to be at least 50 degrees.
Sadly, there’s something about the extreme heat that slows down the creative juices.
Your cognitive abilities improve as a temperature rises up to a point. The best performance comes between 72 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Beyond that it’s downhill. Add in humidity, and the brain wants to go into hiding.
A study looking at the relationship between mood and weather found that
“…high humidity lowered concentration and increased sleepiness among participants.
The weather also hurt their ability to think critically: the hotter it got, the less likely they were to question what they were told.”
When It’s Too Hot
Higher temperatures slow down not only the body’s ability to move but the brain cells as well. It’s not unusual to experience brain fatigue and confusion. Be aware that you might also experience dizziness and nauseousness. So, always make sure you have plenty of water at hand.
While you might not be very motivated and feel that your creativity suffers, you can still get things done by —
- Doing your important work early in the morning and later in the evening.
- Check your AC service and make sure everything’s in working order.
- If you are using a room fan, adjust it so that it circulates the air throughout your space.
- Take advantage of siesta time and nap through the heat.
- Get good sleep the night before so that you can start your day being refreshed and productive.
- Don’t worry about how many trips to the bathroom you’ll make. Stay hydrated with water not sugary or caffeinated drinks.
- Use spell check on everything. You’ll be surprised how easily your brain malfunctions.
- Get our of town if you can. Head for the hills, the lake or the ocean shore where the natives will think it’s too hot and you will be enjoying every glorious moment.
Stay cool my friends.
Resources:
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/why-summer-makes-us-lazy
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1984.tb02785.x/abstract
https://www.business.com/articles/how-the-weather-affects-your-productivity/
https://advice.diversityonecareers.com/2769745/5-ways-to-stay-productive-on-hot-summer-days/
https://gothinkbig.co.uk/features/how-to-stay-productive-on-a-hot-summers-day
Image: CC0 Pixabay 1216041
You Can Find Me At -
In my home land, we have two seasons, the rainy and the dry season. During the dry season, most of us do our chores in the mornings and evenings. During the day, we limit our outdoor activities except in very exceptional cases due to the heat. I agree with you about the usage of air conditioners and staying hydrated to overcome the heat.
Thanks for sharing your climate seasons Apolline. Those from temperate climates may not understand what it’s like to go through long stretches of heat and then a shorter time for rain. But, as climates seem to be changing we all need to learn to adapt.
Living in Southern CA, I share your feelings when someone complains about it being in the 80s. Heck, that’s what I live for! That’s the best weather to be outside. It’s been 117 a lot here as well. Your tips about handling the heat are right on. To add to that, we keep our dog door closed during the day. Our dogs have a tendency to stay out for too long and can overheat easily. So I only let them go out supervised during the day when it’s like this.
Thanks, Jennifer, for adding the advice about dog doors. Heat sure can find its way in from least expected places.
Joyce,
Good article and a lot of helpful tips on stayong hydrated and writing with ease, Using spellcheck and not wrting all on the same day, but this is my tecnique, I do a little at al time and then,check it over before I post.
Lori English
Lori, I have to laugh at myself. After hitting the publishing key on this article I found two spelling errors I missed! I was about to become the poster child for my own message before I fixed them.
I certainly can relate. The only thing I am motivated to do when it is really hot is to just relax, workout because I sweat more (hopefully it translates to more calories. As far as working, it is a struggle but not as much as when it is too cold. I didn’t know that temperature affects productivity. I know that it motivates to have fun.
Webly, I can’t argue with that. Letting the heat motivate you to relax and have fun is as good a reason as it gets.
We have been having a hot and humid spell here in Toronto, Joyce, and I admit I have not been overly motivated to do too much. I remember coming to Arizona in July one year and the temperatures were around 113 to 115. While everyone stayed indoors, I didn’t mind the desert heat as it is dry. That is a big difference, as humidity and I are not friends. I just booked by time in Arizona this year for early October and although I hear that temperatures always go below 100 degrees after labour day… I have a feeling that rule no longer applies. Thanks for the insights and tips in this post. I hope you find some relief and motivation for yourself soon! I had one last thought about hot, hot weather and people who live in this kind of climate year-round. Maybe it is nature’s way of making people slow down and just be, without constantly having to be in a state of working and achieving something. We often hear about ‘island time’ and how people who live on tropical islands, just move at a slower pace. Just a thought.
I think those who have lived all their lives in hot weather naturally have developed an attitude of not working against the heat. But, for those of us who relocated from a cooler climate, it’s an adjustment.
The dryness certainly makes a difference, but we’re in monsoon season now and the rains are driving the humidity up, which many of us uncomfortable to have heat and humidity at the same time. Your October visit should be the perfect time to visit. Things will be cooling down a little by then.
After my recent trip to Phoenix, I see what you’re talking about! It’s way too hot there. I don’t like the cold, but I couldn’t take months of 100 degree temps. Ugh! I have no doubt that any temperature extremes affect our bodies and minds. It’s funny because while extreme heat makes me sleepy, I have a hard time sleeping in it. It’s in the high 90s here in VA, but I won’t complain! 😉
Sorry, you had the Phoenix experience. They can be at least 5 degrees hotter than where I am in the Tucson area. For those not use to it, it can be quite a shock. If you come out our way again, now you’ll know how to prepare. And, anytime you want to escape the snow, we’ll be here to welcome you.
“These are the summer days you dreamed of all winter” – I’m in that dreaming place now in Australia’s winter, Joyce. Your next comment reminded me of the ridiculously hot days we had last summer that forced us to stay inside and how they reduced my productivity and creativity. It really is hard to think straight when it is too hot. Your tips are great, especially doing the important stuff early in the morning and drinking lots of water.
Yes, I’ve been hearing that Australia has incurred hotter temperatures. I think we will all have to find better ways to adapt as our climate seems to be changing.
Oh yes. If it’s too hot, I feel icky and if I feel icky, I’m not creative, motivated or inspired. Thank goodness for air conditioning. The heat threatened to affect my work this spring when the air conditioner went out, but it took exactly one week to get that replaced, cranked up and running. I think about Ernest Hemingway in the Keys with those silly fans and wonder how he wrote such lovely stories. We have it pretty easy.
Cathy,
I can’t imagine either how Hemingway did it with just fans. Some people are more sensitive to heat than others. I’m the reverse in that, I hate the cold, so I gravitate to anything hotter. But, I agree there is a limit and I’m so grateful for air conditioning.
Some good advice for how to get something done when it’s too hot. And it is true that one tends to get lazy when it is very hot. Right now I do not manage to do the translation I should have done. Ohhh…:-)
Katarina, I’m hoping that traveling to all those great vineyards and sipping a lovely glass of wine is a great respite from any heat you might encounter.
Joyce, this is such an interesting topic. The climate really can shift our work. I’ve always lived where we have four distinct seasons and I love it. Summer for me is the time to relax and prepare my fall launches, which is when people here get back to studying and learning. This must be the conditioning we have from “back to school.” I’ve often wondered if I would get much done in what would seem like continual summer. Looking forward to hearing what others have to say.
If I could I’d add a photo of me shoveling my driveway with 6 feet of snow (2011.)
Candess, I miss the four seasons, but the SW has very subtle changes that you become more attuned to. You always think of the cactus as these green monsters but they have the most beautiful flowers when they bloom. And, we also get all the beautiful birds that go South for the Winter. As for snow, I have fond memories. I’ve done my fair share of shoveling but can pass on the having any more experience with it. I think we all learn to adjust to where we are currently living, but there is always one special season that has a place in our heart.