Top 5 tips for working in hot weather

Let’s be honest the weather in the UK is pretty much unpredictable. One minute it can be sunshine with no clouds, and then the next 5 minutes it suddenly is torrential rain.

However, this past week the heat has begun to rise, and the whole weekend was scorching levels of up to 37 degrees in London. This is just unreal weather for the UK, and considering houses are not built with air con in the UK it can make working difficult (if you work from home or in spaces that don’t offer air con like my work).

However, during these hotter times we all need to make sure we are staying safe and healthy no matter where we work.

Today I am sharing with you my

Top 5 tips for working in hot weather!

All of these tips will make sure that you are keeping productivity levels high, still be able to concentrate and work whilst also looking after your health.

Stay Hydrated

We shall start with the obvious one, but making sure you stay refreshed and hydrated is so important. Therefore, make sure you don’t forget a bottle of water, ideally one you can refill because then you can keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.

If you are someone that works through and forgets to drink then maybe set yourself a timer every 30 minutes to remind you to take a break and drink.

Wear loose or protective clothing

I don’t know about you but I have to be in comfortable clothing when it is hot. Now unfortunately for me I don’t get a choice with work as I have a uniform. However, if I am at home working then I tend to wear baggy short sleeve tops, and comfy shorts. This just makes me feel more free and comfortable to work in.

However, if you do work in an office space and you have a bit more freedom with what you can wear then I recommend loose-fitting, light-coloured or lightweight clothing. This will help protect you against the heat in comparison to dark clothing and will ultimately make you feel more comfortable. If you do sweat a lot then maybe take a change of clothes, I do this sometimes as it just makes me feel better.

Take regular breaks

Overall heat is just not nice to work in, therefore remembering to take those well-needed regular breaks will be beneficial! In those breaks you could use this as time for you to hydrate so that is combing the two, or you could just take time to cool yourself down.

This is also recommended to help you be more productive with your work, so not only are you benefiting your health but this will make sure you get the most out of your work too!

Avoid direct sun

If you do work outside then make sure you avoid the direct sun as much as possible. This could be making sure you stay near/in the shade, or blocking out the sun as much as you can.

Being around direct sun for long periods of time can have some negative effects on your health and even skin. For example, this could result in any heat-related illnesses. However, do be alert to any signs or symptoms if you believe you may have them, even more so if you believe you may have heatstroke.

Eat smaller meals/foods that will keep you cool

I have read many nutritional articles that talk about what foods you should eat when it’s hot and portion sizes etc.

Personally before reading anything I enjoy to eat fresh food when it’s hot. For example, I love having a salad and then some fruit afterwards because this just makes me feel cooler. However, a lot of the articles back this up too, for example tomatoes, cucumbers, pineapple and mangoes are great foods to eat when it is hot. These types of food tend to contain a lot of water so are great for hydrating your body.

Also research states that it is best to eat foods that not only hydrate but are low in calories. This is because, if you are eating more calories then this means your metabolism has to work to digest the food and this will ultimately increase your body temperature. Therefore, not so great when it is hotter weather.

Summary

To summarise when it is hot it is important to stay hydrated, eat lower calories and foods that are hydrating, avoid direct sunlight when working, wear loose clothing and take regular breaks. If you do all of these this should help you work better when the weather is hot.

In addition, watch out for any signs or symptoms that you may have heatstroke or heat exhaustion and if you do then seek medical advice where necessary. Lastly, just be careful and mindful or the heat and make sure to wear sun-cream if you are working outside.

These are my

Top 5 tips for working in hot weather!

Thanks for reading,

Gemmaa Jayne x

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