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Welcoming the heat

As we suddenly catapult into summer, one wonders, ‘when did winter and spring end?’

By Samineh I. Shaheem (Out of Mind)

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Published: Sat 19 May 2012, 10:35 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 1:45 PM

So it’s another day of blue skies and warm sunny weather. As you get ready for your day, slipping on the new silk blouse you just bought, you try to ignore that familiar yet scary feeling of the warm weather slapping you in the face as you open the front door just before you’re brave enough to leave the safe and cool surroundings of your home. But the recollection of the high temperatures complimented by the even higher humidity (nice!) is stronger than your abilities of repression.

So instead of denial, we begin to come up with other defence mechanisms, not for the mind, but against the heat. In this occasion it’s a race to the next air conditioned location which is probably your car. Are you an ‘AC-leaver-onner’? (Because you know you had turned on the a/c of the car five minutes before your departure right?) Oh is that term too casual for you? Perhaps a more technical label needed in this diagnosis such as a ‘Chill Ensurer Pre Occupier’? I think you have to be from or reside in the Middle East to understand these highly scientific concepts.

There are still many parts of the world that are not blessed (as the Europeans say) with the temperatures we encounter in the Middle East. However that blessing can be a disaster in disguise when it gets too hot. Let’s think about this for a minute; can heat come with a hitch? Perhaps expressions commonly used in the English language is a good starting point to consider the downbeat aspect of heat, such as ‘in the heat of the moment…’, ‘I lost my cool,’ ‘If you cant handle the heat than get out of the kitchen,’ ‘put the heat on someone.’ I think we would agree that in most of these idioms heat is somehow related to pressure and/or less than favourable situations.

According to Paul (2002) people on trial for murder may claim that they committed their crimes “in the heat of the moment.” Now, new research suggests that’s more than a figure of speech or an idiom. Rates of serious and deadly assault rise along with the mercury, according to a study by Craig Anderson, Ph.D., even when factors like poverty level, demographics, and regional and cultural differences are accounted for.

The biological explanation for this, as presented by the University of Missouri psychologist, is that the same physiological pathways that allow our bodies to regulate internal temperature are also the routes along which emotions travel. When they’re being used to cool the body, they may have less capacity to restrain combative urges. Apparently one point of advice put forth by Anderson is that all it may take to control such violence is a little AC. He thinks that air conditioners installed indoors may help people keep their cool. Alright, thank God. We have enough of those deterrents in our neck of the woods…or desert.

So what can we do to try and keep ‘cool’ during the hot summer months? Here are some helpful hints, put for the by Women’s Health, to try and manage both our physiological and psychological states:

• Drink more fluids. Try to avoid those with alcohol, caffeine, and large amounts of sugar. Although a cool drink is refreshing, don’t make it too cold or you may experience stomach cramps.
• Get yourself to a cooler place. Go to a public library or mall. Otherwise, make your home as cool as possible by keeping shades drawn and using electric fans.
• Take a cool bath or shower.
• Wear loose-fitting, light-coloured, and lightweight clothing.
• If you are particularly sensitive to heat or when it’s extremely hot outside, limit your outdoor activities to morning and evening hours.
• Exercise and heavy exertion may increase heat-related symptoms. Exercise during the cooler parts of the day.
• Protect yourself from the sun. Where sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
• Avoid driving during rush hour since crowding and heat are the two most powerful contributors to road rage.
• Think about why you may be feeling angry/frustrated/annoyed. Before lashing out at the closest target, take one of the above steps to cool down before reacting.

In regards to heat, as with everything in life we should try and incorporate the philosophy of moderation into our daily activities, especially during the summer months. So enjoy the benefits without suffering from the negative consequences.

Remember, learning more results in living more…over to you…

Samineh I Shaheem is an author, an assistant professor of psychology, currently lecturing in Dubai, as well as a cross-cultural consultant at HRI. She has studied and worked in different parts of the world, including the USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, and the UAE. She co hosts a radio program (Psyched Sundays 10-12pm) every Sunday morning on Dubai Eye discussing the most relevant psychological issues in our community.

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