Beat the heat! Your tips for surviving the heat wave in the office or at home

It’s getting hot in here! Are you ready for another summer above 30 degrees? With each year the summer heat in Europe is getting more intense and lasts longer. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! 

No matter if you are already back to work at the office or still working from home: this month we will guide you with practical and useful tips in the areas of nutrition, movement and wellbeing through the next summer heat wave. With our survival tips for extreme temperatures you will be able to treat your body well and enjoy a relaxing summer after all! Yippie! ⛱

Where and how to hide from the heat

You know these annoying humid summer days? The ones where you wake up in the morning with your face already covered in sweat. You are sitting in the overheated subway or in the crowded train on your way to work, or you arrive to the office covered in sweat from riding your bike. The first thing you want to do is probably take an ice cold shower before and after each meeting. But instead your bottom is stuck to your office chair all day long. Today we will show you how to spend your work days with your colleagues peacefully, without having to worry about you in a soppy, dripping shirt.

Restructure your day

If you can, adapt your daily schedule according to the outside temperatures. Practically, this means to leave your windows open during the night in order to let the cold air in and to keep your curtains shut during the day to keep the heat outside. There is nothing worse than not being able to sleep at night because of the heat. Another easy example: getting up earlier and working earlier on hot days. This way you can also finish work earlier without trouble and don’t need to hustle at work when your focus is vanishing due to the heat. Stay in cool rooms during lunch time and reduce your outdoor activities to the early morning or evening hours.

Stay cool in the office

If you don’t have the chance to shower at your office, it can be helpful to let ice cold water run over your wrists, to place some cooling pads on your forehead and neck or to spray some thermal water on your face and arms. Speak with your managers about ideas on how to keep the office cool and how to structure the work day during extreme temperatures with more ease. Installing some shutters or sun shades, placing fans at each work desk and always having some cooled drinks ready in the fridge can already do a lot of magic. So does the suggestion to schedule meetings in the morning hours instead of the later afternoon. Also, how about an iced coffee instead of a hot and steaming cappuccino for a change?

Protect yourself

If you can’t avoid the outdoors during a heat wave, at least make sure to stay and move in the shade and try to avoid direct sunlight. Wear some light and breezy clothes that are ideally made from cotton and are not too tight or dark. If your office culture doesn’t allow for a casual dress code, it might be worth having a word with your manager about relaxing the dress code rules on especially hot summer days. After all, what good does it do to look formal in the office, when your productivity and focus are suffering from it? Also, pay attention on wearing sun protection outside of the office: sunglasses and sunscreen are your friends!