Hot weather can feel uncomfortable, and some people notice irritability. Heat does not excuse harmful behaviour, and irritability can have other causes. Here are six tools for hot days, ordered from the most basic to the most reflective.
1. Check basic needs first
When irritation flares on a hot day, ask yourself: am I hot, thirsty or hungry? Deal with those first, and take real concerns seriously afterwards.
This is the least glamorous tip and often the most useful. Drink a glass of water. Eat something small if it has been hours. Move out of direct sun. Then ask whether the irritation is still there. If it is, it may be about something real, such as a person, a task or a plan, and it deserves attention. If it has lessened, you have learned something about your own pattern.
2. Cool the fast spots
Wrists under cold water, a damp cloth on the back of the neck, a splash on the face. Move to a cool place if you can.
These are quick and ordinary. A wet cloth kept in a bag or the fridge can be handy on a commute. Go for a shaded spot, a room with a fan, or a shop or library with air conditioning. If you are travelling, a bottle of water and a hand towel help. Cool, not freezing, is the aim.
3. Slow your breathing
A few comfortable long exhales in shade or moving air may feel pleasant. They are not treatment for heat illness. Do not use breathing to ignore overheating or breathlessness.
Sit somewhere safe and let the breath settle. Counting is optional. Stop if you feel dizzy, and never practise while driving or riding.
4. Plan around the hottest hours
Where possible, move hard conversations and demanding tasks to the cooler morning, and avoid heavy exertion during the hottest hours of the day.
If you have flexibility, shift errands to early morning or evening. Put a difficult discussion with a colleague or relative on the calendar for a cooler hour instead of the sweaty middle of the afternoon. If you cannot shift the timetable, build in a few minutes of shade and water before you go into the task.
5. Wind down in the evening
A slow walk as the temperature drops, a cool shower or shaking out the arms can help you unwind. Keep walking easy in the heat.
A comfortable evening routine might be: a shower, a light meal, and a quiet half hour with the fan on. Stay hydrated. If it is still very hot at dusk, a short slow walk is plenty, and indoors is fine too.
6. Keep your sleeping space cool
Try a fan, the coolest room in the house, light bedding or a cool shower before bed.
A wet sheet hung near the window, closed curtains on the sunny side during the day, and a damp cloth near the fan are traditional ways to take the edge off. Lighter sleepwear may help. Poor sleep can make irritability harder to manage, so a cooler bedroom is worth some effort.
Looking out for others
Children, older people and anyone with a health condition may be more vulnerable in heat, and may not say they are uncomfortable. If a child or an elderly relative has suddenly turned cranky, check whether they are hot and thirsty before assuming bad behaviour. Offer water, a cool place and a rest.
Repairing after a snap
If you snapped at someone, a short, plain apology works: “I was hot and short-tempered, and I’m sorry.” You do not have to explain at length. Heat may have been part of it, but the apology is still yours to make. If you notice you are regularly short-tempered whatever the weather, that is worth talking about with a doctor or a counsellor.
Know the line between irritable and unwell
Dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness, heavy sweating or thirst in heat can indicate heat exhaustion. Stop activity, move to a cool place, remove unnecessary clothing, and cool the skin with cool water and a fan. Give water only if the person is fully alert and able to swallow. Stay with them. Get urgent medical advice if you are struggling to treat the symptoms or need advice.
Call your local emergency number if the person is still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids, or has signs of heatstroke such as a very high temperature, fast breathing, shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, confusion, lack of coordination, a seizure or loss of consciousness. Heatstroke can occur with hot dry skin or profuse sweating; do not wait for sweating to stop. Continue cooling while waiting for help. Do not give anything to drink to a confused, unconscious or otherwise not fully alert person.
Related: somatic rest practice for the drained evenings.
Sources: NHS: Heat exhaustion and heatstroke (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/) for the 30-minute escalation and cooling advice; CDC: Heat-related illnesses (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html) for heatstroke with or without sweating.
