How to cope with a heatwave at work August 5, 2015
As some of you might know (depending on where you live) not every office environment has air conditioning to offer and even with one in place, working eight and more hours every day in a warm office environment can be really challenging. Especially at work places with strict wardrobe requirements many people suffer during the summer months and trying to get through your daily to-do list while sweating in front of your computer screen can be quite challenging to say the least.
I have accumulated some tips on how to make your work day more manageable when you have to cope with a heatwave at work or just a really warm day in general.
The first advice is one you probably heard a lot before but the key to your well-being in the summer and year round is to keep hydrated. Drink water on a regular basis and make sure you are not getting dehydrated! Everyone has different water needs but most people should drink between 1,5 to 2 litres a day. Just do not overdo it, either.
Another thing to keep in mind is to wear summer appropriate clothing. Most offices have a strict dress code that you have to work around but try to stick to looser fits, natural materials like cotton and remember to bring your sunscreen and sunglasses to work every morning. You will sure need them!
Keep your blinds and curtains shut and look for shade whenever you can. When it comes to parking spots, and outdoors activities that cannot be avoided try to limit your sun exposure however you can.
Between eleven and four pm the sun is the most aggressive so stay indoors as much as possible to avoid sunburn and overheating.
For many people, opening windows and doors seems like a good idea but do not let the heat in and keep all windows and doors closed when it is really warm outside. If you let the air from outdoors come in, do this only really early in the morning and not after 8 am and only again in the evening when it has already cooled off outside.The key is to keep your environment as cool and dark as possible and not heating your office up even further.
Cool of by taking a shower as soon as you come home in the evening. Also schedule any sports and exercise in the early morning hours or evening to make it easier for your body to cope with a heatwave.
And remember, even this heatwave shall pass!
How do you cope with a heatwave at work? Leave your tips as a comment below, please, if you like to share!
Photo: Markus Spiske / raumrot.com / CC-BY
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/