Productivity Tips – Extreme Heat and Mental Health
A couple of weeks ago I listened to an interview about extreme heat and mental health. Hopefully it’s been cooling down where you are, but in my neck of the woods, we’re still at 105 degrees daily! When this segment about “extreme heat and mental health” was first teased, it got me to thinking about how the homeless must really be struggling, especially if they don’t have services and facilities for emergency help during heatwaves.
As I started to listen to the interview, however, I realized that extreme heat affects more than people who are unhoused, those who work outside or those who choose to exercise in the heat of the afternoon.
The extreme heat affects everyone in one way or another – more so if you already have mental health or emotional challenges that you’re facing. If you’re struggling with depression, anxiety, or other issues, the heat can bring on more mental duress and/or more severe physical reactions at a faster rate. Additionally, some medications react differently within the body when the body temperature rises.
When my husband and I listen to the local news while we eat breakfast, there’s a daily heat advisory with a reminder to “not leave your kids or pets in the car, bring your pets inside, and drink water to stay hydrated, especially if you’ll be outside for any amount of time.” Because of that daily warning, that’s about as far as I go in thinking about heat-related effects.
But after listening to this interview, I realized that this is the summer version of the winter challenges of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), when the lack of sunlight affects the mood and mental health of so many, whether they’ve been clinically diagnosed or not with mental or emotional conditions. The extreme heat can affect the body, mind and emotions in similar ways. It’s more than dehydration we need to watch out for; we also need to be mindful of our mental well-being. We also need to be aware of the mental well-being of our family, friends and co-workers.
The following segment is approximately 35 minutes long. If you don’t have that amount of time in one full block, I encourage you to hit pause and return during any breaks you have. It’s a valuable use of your time to be aware of these conditions for yourself and those around you:
Show: 1A Listen to: How Extreme Heat Affects Our Mental Health
Want more advice about how your self-care and well-being affect your productivity? Take a peek at The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.