How to look after your mental health in the heat
The weather in Scotland can be quite changeable and during the Summer it is common to experience four seasons in one day!
August can be one of Edinburgh’s hottest months, so it is important to be prepared for the hot weather. While most of us welcome hot weather, when it’s too hot, your physical and mental health can suffer. Heat can increase your stress levels, irritability, memory, attention, and reaction time, as well as your sleep pattern.
Keep out of the sun if you can
If you have to go out when the sun is severe, try and stay in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm which is usually the hottest part of the day. Protect your skin by wearing sunscreen, a hat, and lightweight comfortable clothes. You might want to wear as little as possible, but wearing light clothes which cover your shoulders and arms can help keep you cool and stop you from getting sunburnt.
There are lots of partially outdoor areas in the city centre such as the St James Quarter, George Square, and Bristo Square that offer covered seating for you to enjoy the shade during your downtime, and trees and buildings can also offer cover to rest.
Drink alcohol in moderation
When the sun is shining and spirits are high, people are often led to one of the many pop-up beer gardens that appear during the festival, or to crack a few cans in the park.
Unfortunately, alcohol and hot days are not always the best match. Alcohol causes dehydration, which can be felt even more when your body is already trying to adjust to the hotter weather. Symptoms of dehydration include a dry mouth, dizziness or confusion, and headaches. If untreated, dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion. If possible, try isotonic sports drinks to replenish lost salts, sugars, and fluids.
Drinking alcohol might make it more difficult to sleep well at night, which is already a challenge in warm weather. Although you may sleep quickly, the quality of your sleep is likely to be lacking and you’ll probably wake up earlier than usual.
Try to drink in moderation, and remember to drink plenty of water too.
Limit physical activity
Avoid exercising during the hottest parts of the day. Although it’s best to avoid too much disruption to your usual routine, even when the temperatures are high, sometimes it has to be done. If you like to exercise every day, you might be best to do it first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
It may be hard to convince yourself to go for an early morning run when your bed is calling you, but exercising in the middle of the afternoon can be dangerous and you may run the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Take the temperature into account when planning you day and limit your activity to when it’s cooler. If you find yourself trekking across the city to new venues, make sure you drink lots of water and take breaks.
Manage your sleep
It can be hard to sleep when it’s hot, and sleepless nights can leave you irritable, overwhelmed, and sensitive. There are things you can do to keep your bedroom cooler – draw the curtains while the sun shines to keep the room from heating up, open the windows if you can, and try and use light bed coverings like a sheet.
If you’ve come to Edinburgh from further south, the light may be disruptive. Summer days in Scotland are some of the longest in the world after Russia and Scandinavia – even in August, months after the solstice, it’ll be light well before 6AM and won’t get dark until close to 9PM. If you’re used to longer nights, make sure you draw the curtains or close the shutters if you can – you might also want to try a sleep mask.
If you can’t sleep, don’t panic – get up, do something quietly for a bit (like walking or reading – avoid screens, if you can), drink a bit of cold water, then go back to bed when you start to feel tired. Remember, even if you can’t get a full night, any sleep is better than none. Resist the urge to nap during the day if possible – it can help to keep up a routine when you’re struggling with sleeplessness.
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