- Not only does heat and humidity affect your body, but they can also impact your emotions and how you behave, one psychologist says
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Hot weather can certainly take a toll on your mental health and temper. Photo: ShutterstockHot days and sweltering temperatures during the summer can certainly take a toll on our bodies, but did you know they can test our tempers too? Ken Fung, director of therapy and counselling at Jadis Blurton Family Development Centre in Hong Kong, gives the low-down on why the hot weather can make us grumpy and irritable.
“Heat can affect our emotions and how we behave towards others. In fact, there is a link between heat and aggression, and violent crimes are reported more frequently in places with warmer temperatures,” Fung said.
It doesn’t help that many places are currently battling scorching, record-breaking temperatures, with Hong Kong experiencing its hottest weather of the year and cities across Europe struggling with an extreme heatwave, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius.
Humidity, alongside heat, plays a part in making us feel crankier than usual too, according to Fung. The combination of these two factors tends to bring out the worst in us, and cities such as Hong Kong, which are susceptible to both heat and humidity during the summer, are the perfect breeding ground for grouchy individuals.
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Certain groups of people are more prone to the effects of extreme heat, said the psychologist. These include those who are already feeling stressed or anxious.
“If you are already under a lot of pressure, even the slightest trigger, such as having to trudge in the heat while commuting to and from school, can exacerbate existing symptoms of stress and anxiety,” he said.
Individuals who have a negative association with summer are also less able to tolerate the heat.
“There is a higher chance that you’ll feel agitated more easily when temperatures rise, if you’re not a summer person or generally shun outdoor activities during this season,” Fung said, adding that these people are likely to avoid gatherings that would require them to be out in the sun and as a result, might have a higher tendency to feel lonely and end up venting their anger.
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This applies more so to teenagers with low self-esteem and those who are sensitive about their appearance. Fung explained that while it’s fairly normal to sweat in Hong Kong during the summer, teens might be extra conscious about smelling bad, making them worried and anxious about interacting with others.
Fung added that it is important for teens who avoid summer social activities to adopt a different attitude towards the season.
“It’s all up to how you interpret it. Rather than feeling resentment, make an effort to reclaim your summer and make plans with people you feel comfortable with. This will change your opinion about summer and rework those negative, angsty feelings into positive ones,” he said.
Warmer temperatures can also lead to sleep deprivation. “Sleep plays an important role in our mood and ability to make judgments, and a lack of sleep results in one feeling irritable; you can see how tempers get shorter as we get hotter,” Fung said.
He also pointed out that increased heat is associated with higher rates of suicide in extreme cases, as well as visits to psychiatric hospitals and emergency rooms – higher temperatures intensify one’s existing anxiety and depression, which subsequently affects their ability to make sound judgments.
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Fung warned that this is becoming a global problem because of climate change, and experts are still studying the various mental health effects of rising temperatures.
In the meantime, he said, prevention is still the best practice, i.e. staying under the shade or heading indoors when you think the heat is getting to you.
“Just like other emotional management techniques, do not wait until [you reach] the point where you cannot tolerate the heat, causing your body to become overheated and dehydrated. By then, judgment and reasoning abilities are already on the decline, and you’ll be more likely to say or do something that you will regret.”
Click here to download a printable worksheet with questions and exercises about this story. Answers are on the second page of the document.