Who has never ever suffered intense summer heat when working at the office? Who has never ever felt the tiredness, irritability, stress that working at high temperatures causes? At this stage, considerable research work demonstrates that high temperatures are directly related to labor productivity, and both extreme cold and extreme heat lead us to perform less.
We know that when summer arrives it means the end of the working year… We can see on the horizon the long-awaited vacation that we have probably been preparing for months… We are more distracted, less focused. You have the same objectives on your desk that as at other times of the year, but our mind tends to fly to coastal paradises. The pictures of our friends sunbathing and having daikiris, flooding social networks, don’t help at all…
And then we ask ourselves what can we do to be in a good mood, keep energy and be willing when the universe looks like it is conspiring against us.
So, first of all, it is essential to maintain a suitable temperature in the office. The air conditioning is your greatest ally. It is important to remember that as its name implies, it should “condition” the environment but not cool it: the key is to achieve a balanced thermal sensation. Here you have some good tips related to air conditioning. According to experts, the proper temperature at the office is between 24 and 25 degrees (75-77 F). If it were lower, it would affect people with COPD, allergies and asthma. Companies must ensure good working conditions for its employees and provide a fresh-water source in order to avoid dehydratation.
Secondly, we should not neglect our organizational capacity. It is true that the volume of work decreases during summer, but there are less people working in the office too, so it is important to keep your tasks under control. There are still objectives to reach.
Thirdly: be positive. It is normal that heat shoots up your desire to run out of the office, it happens to everybody. But think that precisely because it’s summer, you will have more hours of sunshine to enjoy after work. When you finish your shift you still have time to do other things like going for a walk, having a drink with friends or going to the swimming pool.
In fourth place: don’t torture yourself. It’s not easy, but avoid thinking about what people are doing on vacation. That will only make you feel worse, waste your time and spend energy while forgetting real important tasks. You time will arrive too, you just have to be a little more patient. And then, you will be glad you went away with all your objectives completed.
And last but not least: Listen to your body. Don’t overeat. Don’t have meals that make you feel heavy, overly fool. Digestion already requires an effort, don’t add difficulty when the heat is overwhelming. Drink a lot of water: two litres per day is the minimum amount that doctors recommend.
So much for the theory, but… What about practise? What do you usually do to cool your working place? How do you feel about working during the summer? How do you fight against heat? Tell us!