What’s a Little Heat?

We are in the middle of summer in Georgia, and all I hear is “It is SOOOO hot!!”  Yes, yes, indeed it is. But that isn’t really a big deal, is it?

After all, what’s a little heat?

Well…the other day I stumbled across something that made me pause, and rethink how I talk about heat. According to the American Psychological Association, extreme heat doesn’t just stress your body. It can significantly affect your thinking and your mood.  Check out the article How Heat Affects the Mind .

Extreme heat can make people more depressed or irritable. It makes any symptoms of a mental health challenge even worse—things like anxiety, depression, and other stress-related problems. Apparently, some of the chemicals in your nerves (neurotransmitter) that are involved in regulating your mood are also involved in regulating your temperature.

Heat doesn’t just affect your mood—it also affects your thinking. Your thinking skills go down and decisions are harder to make when you’re under extreme heat, and you make more impulsive decisions.

To make it even more complicated, some medicines affect your body’s ability to manage heat and stay hydrated. If you take any medication, check with your doctor to see if it affects how your body manages heat.

If we are going to thrive under extreme heat (and hey, we live in Georgia, so extreme heat is just another word for summer!), we need to take care of ourselves. Not only to prevent heat stroke and dehydration, but to take care of our thinking and our emotions. To keep our competitive edge, we need to protect ourselves from extreme heat.

So, take water breaks, get into the shade when you can, and wear loose cool clothes. Taking time to cool off isn’t a sign of weakness, it is what keeps you thriving on the farm!