Extreme heat, the impact on our mental health

Not just sweat, heavy legs and exhaustion: The extreme heat has become a factor Destabilizing also for our mind. If you feel more nervous, demotivated, anxious or overwhelmed On the hot days of this summer, know that yours is not a weakness: it is a concrete reaction to a real emergency. Record temperatures do not only test the body, but They alter our biorhythms, the quality of sleep, the ability of concentration, the motivation and the mood. And behind the facade of a season that should be synonymous with light -heartedness and desire to live, here it makes its way a widespread psychological distressbut still too underestimated. We have it spoken with the expertto understand motivations and solutions.

The extreme heat dereges us and exposes our fragility

«The extreme heat that we are experiencing from a few summer to this part has a concrete impact on our psychological balance. And not only in those who have previous fragility: Even the most stable, more resilient and more centered people struggle and they suddenly rediscover themselves vulnerable from the emotional visa point », explains the Dr. Teresa Capparellipsychologist and psychotherapist With study in Naples. “The bodyforced to work continuously to regulate the internal temperature, enters a state of physiological stress which is reflected in waterfall on the mood toneon energy levels, on sleep quality and on the management of emotions. In the studio, in this period, everyone brings me back the same feeling: The heat makes them more anxious, more irritable, more vulnerable. It is not a question of suggestion, but a real and documented neurochemical response. This always feel tired, demotivated, emotionally out of control, In the long run, wears and destabilizes».

The brain cannot stand the heat. Literally

Irritability which overwhelms you after a few minutes under the summer sun, that standing threshold Which seems to vanish in an instant: all this has a precise explanation. “Our brain needs a stable temperature to work: when it’s too hot, the hypothalamusthat regulates both the body and emotions, ends strongly under pressure»Underlines Dr. Capparelli. “Hence the sense of nervousness, emotional explosions, the feeling of being saturated. The heat can amplify everything: a small stress turns into a collapsea trivial concern gives rise to a paralyzing anxiety. And in some cases it manifests itself A real seasonal affective disorderin its summer form. Agitation, restlessness, insomnia and a sense of forced insulationoften also due to the difficulty in leaving the house without air conditioning. And in fact more and more often patients tell me they feel trapped.

Psychological strategy when the heat affects mental balance

.

JLCO – Julia Amaral

Let’s move on to Management methods of these “side effects” of the heat. How to protect our mood and our emotional stability During the days of extreme and unsustainable heat? «Even in summer, the brain needs predictability: Keep a regular routine It helps him feel safe, “explains the expert. “Stable hours for sleep, meals and daily activities are a first step. But it also matters to create spaces and moments of decompression. Listen to relaxing music in a fresh room It can reduce the physiological activation of super hot. If possible, avoid overloads in the hottest hours, introduce in your day self -regulation practices such as mindfulness and conscious breathing and cultivate the human connections. Also a Simple message to your own loved one It can make a difference, making you feel less alone and isolated ». Finally, no self -criticism if you are less productive and efficient: “Slowing is not a sign of weakness, but an act of care”underlines Capparelli.