Understanding the effect of heat on mental health Are you feeling more emotional?

The Central Texas area has had the longest streaks of scorching heat with no relief coming anytime soon, and August is just around the corner. We have been experiencing 101, 105, 107 degrees. Researchers say temperatures are too hot for humans, with limits between 104F and 122 degrees.

How does health affect our mental health?

As you start the day, the heat has almost reached its peak. Your day must begin with a daily routine of healthy habits – prayer, gratefulness, healthy foods, and plenty of water.

Summer

We are all experiencing scorching heat; sadly, some more than others, we cannot escape it. Exposure to heat affects the body and mind. Heat can impact what we are doing to manage our well-being. People are dealing with various emotions – depression, anxiety, and low spirits. However, we do have control over how we handle our well-being.

The Mayo Clinic report mentions that "the side effect of extreme heat is irritability, which can arise from physical discomfort and disrupted sleep patterns. The fatigue from sweating, working in the heat, and lack of quality sleep can leave people feeling stressed and on the edge. Dr. Bright of the Mayo Clinic says, “It is important to have grace for yourselves and others."

Remember, we have no control over our current situation. However, we do have control over ourselves. Psalms 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart and renew within me the right spirit.” Slow down and breathe; the rain will come again.

Resource: “Understanding the effect of heat on mental health.” Mayo Clinic July 13, 2023

By Aubrie Edmond, Contributing Writer

Summer is the cruelest season. I spend all year waiting for summer to come, a time for fun and freedom and friends. There’s so much promise and opportunity, but it seems like nothing ever happens. No matter how many things I think I’ll be able to accomplish, plans always seem to fall through. Three months seems like forever, but there’s never enough time.

This isn’t to say that summer isn’t eventful. This year, I celebrated my twentieth birthday. I watched fireworks on the fourth of July, the Barbie movie is coming out, there’s an abundance of concerts I’m excited to see, and yet I still feel like I’m wasting my time.

Freedom is a double edged sword. I find myself caught in my own head, cycling through endless possibilities for ways to spend my day until the sun goes down. It seems like everyone around me has it all figured out, trips lined up months in advance and jobs set up through connections they’ve made at school. I always feel left behind, struggling to find ways to fill my time. Most of the time I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with myself. Summer feels like a time to create and learn new things, but it seems like I can never finish anything I start. I feel so unproductive and it drives me crazy.

The idea of summer is something that is so prevalent in our culture. We have so many expectations for what it should be, and maybe that’s the problem. Maybe summer isn’t about the number of things you’re able to fit into a day or the amount of trips you’re able to take. Maybe it’s about finding ways to be okay with being alone with yourself, making peace with the quiet moments and savoring the beauty in the little things.