What are your tactics for remaining productive when it’s hot

Olga Booker wrote:I am also quite partial to it when it is too hot outside to cook!

Sun-baked flatbread is actually not a terrible idea, but some Pita bread can be quite dry and aggravating to Pitta dosha. I'm sure it wouldn't bother those with a more Sanguine temperament (hot and humid).

I am a Scot, and in N Germany for 10 years, but even that difference hurts in the summer 30C+ not unheard of, not much rain but reasonable humidity (winter is about the same). For me "too hot" is over 20 in sunshine if there is little wind.

My house is an old 1880s farmhouse with insanely thick clay walls and (most importantly) a half-metre-thick clay floor between the upper story (not renovated yet, just a music room up there). My house is 45 degrees to the compass, with my living / sleeping room facing SE, so shaded in the late afternoon, also theres a big bush thet grows tall and shady in the summer, and the apple orchard and (frankly overgrown) beech hedge shades the other big room (my housemates room)  which faces pretty much South. The more W facing rooms (kitchen, small sitting room) are shaded by garden hedges and the smokehouse, and despite that  the conservatory seems to serve as a bit of an evening heat trap, nowhere in the house seems to ever get above about 18C in the summer, or below 14C in the winter (with the heat on very low). The cooker has an exhaust fan that actually connects to the chimmney!

I do shut the living room curtains if I have cut the bush as then it gets over 20C.

Helpfully, it is almost always windy or very windy here.

I am an early riser, try to keep the doors and windows shut at all times unless it is cool (the house has enough natural draughts!!!) . I try to do my garden chores in the morning (where it is 12-20C depending) , but I react badly to mozzie bites so I have to mostly wear full loose coverup and a head net (not ideal, especially as I am light sensitive and old enough to need glasses for close work). Cutting the grass is the worst because though my mower can take the abuse of cutting wet grass, it is hard work!

I go most days to the river (10 mins walk) for a swim The road is at least partly shaded for most of the way.

I work from home on the computer, I have various locations for an outdoor desk, where the combo of shade (trees or a big sun shade parasol) and the almost-guaranteed wind mostly does the trick. Though, frankly, in the afternoon it is usually cooler indoors!

I am not sure how much is applicable to your more southern climate, but shading the building as you plan to is recommended, plus think about REALLY insulating your roof and upper storey from the sun.

I came in from working in the garden for about an hour yesterday eve … about 5 to 6 pm. Nothing heavy duty.  My pulse was 102.  My resting pulse is normally less than 70.  So, I am cutting back to 30 minute work periods.

6/20 9:30 pm. My change in strategy worked.  I tried to rest every 30 minutes. My pulse maxed out at 86.

Smoothies!
Now that it’s tart cherry season, I’ve loaded the freezer with pitted cherries packed with a 1/2 teaspoon salt per quart. The salt makes the fresh frozen cherries pliable so I can easily break off about a cup to put in my nutribullet. The salt also replaces electrolytes lost when sweating. To sweeten the sour cherries, I add a half a frozen banana, and a spoonful of frozen pineapple juice concentrate. I then top it all off with dairy kefir or almond milk and a little water. The crowning touch is a couple of drops of vanilla extract and/or almond extract. Whiz that together then knock back that smoothie with gusto.
After an exhausting morning, this tasty and reviving creamy icy beverage gives me an afternoon’s worth of productivity (in the shade of course).

My dad always increased his hot coffee intake. It warmed him, causing more sweat, causing him to cool off. This never worked, for me. Especially in higher humidity.

In winter, we use warming spices in hot teas & our food - an absolute favorite for us is a hot lemon/ ginger/ cayenne tea, that does the trick to warm us, without fail. In the summer heat, I keep a couple different cooling waters &/or tisanes in the fridge, to draw from, like cucumber, melon, or berry water, or mint, rose, or other herbal tisanes.

When it's just the two of us, our home is also 'pants optional', lol. So, light-weight, natural fabrics that keep warm skin from touching warm skin on top (long tshirts, tunics, shorter dresses,etc), underwear, and a sweat-wicking, natural fiber towel under us, to keep our legs from sticking to furniture is pretty much our summertime normal. If we go off the homestead or have company, John always reverts to his jeans, but I switch to (stil lightweight, breathable, wicking natural fabric) somewhat longer skirts, or dresses.

My hair comes up, off my neck. Outside, a mesh or very vented hat with a sun-repelling crown & (preferably wide) brim are helpful, as is keeping a hand fan in a pocket, at the ready, and a thermos full of more of those cooling drinks.

A short, cool (not cold) shower after outside chores helps cool the body quickly, without shock.

Keeping the power usage down, indoors goes a long way toward keeping the house cool. All those lights, televisions, etc, produce heat. Refrigerators and freezers put off SOOO much heat! So, if they can be moved to the garage, the house will be cooler. In our case, we have a fridge in the kitchen for normal use, but we have a second one in the attached garage, for longer-term stuff, like slowing/longer term preservation of ferments (temps in the high 90°s - low 100s°s are normal for our summers!), and cooling/aging meats for butchering/processing, etc. I can't imagine the amount of heat the 2nd fridge would add, inside the kitchen.

Myself and many farmers, tradespeople, and laborers have no choice but to stay productive in extreme heat and cold, so there are some ways but it's up to the individual to find what works best for them. Everyone has different body types and Im lucky to be comfortable in both extreme heat and cold. I've come to think it boils down to blood flow and oxygen. I'm blessed with large veins and strong wind. Of course many years of acclimating, and mental/physical conditioning have played a part - outside sun up to sun down, no a/c, plenty of water, thin breathable clothes, and a positive mindset go a long way! Keeping windows open at nite once I come inside helps a lot too.

I am a man and prefer shorts/t-shirt but work with a woman who prefers long pants and sleeves - we can both weed, hoe plant, pull, push, drag, etc all day long side by side.

But even if a person isn't structured or experienced to endure working in the heat, I believe they can practice the techniques many others have mentioned here (namely hydration, slow deep breathing, breaks, and a relentless willpower) to still surprise themselves with productivity. Never compete against others, only compete against yourself in yesterdays daily life report. 10 more seconds outside over the day before is a victory in my book!

If tired and exhausted take a little break in the shade but get back out there, even if it's only for another 10 min before you have to break again. Before you know it you'll be able to handle more and more if you stick to it every day year after year. Thats been my experience. Theres a song that says "mother nature will make you strong if you give her love and care" I believe it wholeheartedly and even in the hard painful times I push on working the best I can and almost always find miraculous healing and ability, along with a good nite's rest Stay focused and determined, be smart (know thyself), take the "marathon" approach over "sprint" ideology, and grow strong!! Every one of us here is doing good work that is much needed so lets make sure we all do our parts as best we can without burning out or hurting ourselves, great topic of discussion!

When it's hot and humid out, I sometimes like to work until I'm lightheaded,
then take a cold shower, followed by ice cream.
Saunas are normally quite expensive to build and operate, I look at it as a free sauna.
The shower removes all the stickyness and refreshes.
I think going barefoot helps keep me cool too.

For me, the hardest thing is sleep.  Night and morning it's cool enough to do stuff, that I'm usually getting 2 hours or less sleep a night.  Day is too hot for doing and too hot and bright for sleeping.   Plus the phone rings if I do fall asleep (don't think these old phones have a ringer volume)

Productivity tanks.

We lived in the CA low desert, then the high desert, then moved to GA and FL. These techniques are what I used.

Be aware of the scents you use and their affects. Some, can make you feel hotter. After you put lotion on, how do you feel? I only use unscented lotion because of this and because of the unexpected trick I learned in the desert.

Wash using a high-scent natural oil soap: lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, clove, etc. There’s something about using those scents to wash with that just makes me feel cooler.

Artificial scents don’t work the same way, in fact they frequently make me feel hotter. No doubt someone who's anaromatherapy expert could explain, but I just know this works for me...

Don’t dry your hair, esp. if it's long. Comb it out damp and pile it atop your head in a loose bun. It will help your head stay cool, which helps YOU stay cool.

Use cornstarch. One of the most luxurious things in a heat wave is climbing into crisp sheets lightly dusted with cornstarch. Feels wonderful on the skin. However, the cornstarch can also get into your mattress, and that is a problem!  

Instead, use cornstarch as a powder on your skin, under your nightclothes, before you climb into bed. It isn’t as luxurious as the other method, but doesn’t have the issues either!

Finally, a friend who grew up in AZ said that sitting in a cool bath works too....

I stay inside in the air conditioning and read the permies forum posts.

T S Rodriguez wrote:1. Siesta. Take a siesta in the heat of the day. There is a reason nearly every hot place in the world takes time off in the middle of the day. It is only in air conditioned cities that people work at a desk straight through.

2. If possible jump in the pond or the pool or the shower fully clothed in long sleeves and long pants before starting your outdoor projects. Just wear your soaking wet clothes wherever you go outside, doing your various tasks. This will keep you cool and the long sleeves protect you from sunburn.

3. Wear a hat that shades your face and neck

4. If possible, do your work in the shade. Last year I added a roof rack to my truck on a summer day, and it took about 90 minutes, so I drove the truck under a tree and did it there.  (I believe 90 minutes converts to 35 minute-grams in the metric system. I could be doing it wrong though).

5. Drink tons of water, whether it is gallons, liters, tons or metric tons shouldn't make much difference.

I have done this stuff in the Sahara desert, south America and North America. You still get hot, but these things mitigate it.

All of this. Sometimes you just can't not work when it's hot and humid.

I have UV blocking long sleeved hooded sweatshirts that zip all the way closed if need be. Folks give me crap about wearing them when it's hot and sunny out but it's way better than having lotions on me and eventually in my eyes and besides folks who live where it's really hot and sunny aren't wearing shorts and wife beaters tanktops(?) around to stay cool.

r ranson wrote:For me, the hardest thing is sleep.  Night and morning it's cool enough to do stuff, that I'm usually getting 2 hours or less sleep a night.  Day is too hot for doing and too hot and bright for sleeping.   Plus the phone rings if I do fall asleep (don't think these old phones have a ringer volume)

Productivity tanks.

This is brutal. If I can't get enough sleep, game over.
For me the phone would be unplugged, I'd probably try to wear one of those light blocking masks. Maybe some rain sounds or something going on there. Moist fabric for putting on skin for some evap cooling.

I have been contemplating how to become to be a night person in the summer. Much nicer out around here at night. The fireflies just won't stop this year it seems.

Indeed.  I can tolerate a hell of a lot as long as I get some quality sleep.

Another fan of clothing for blocking sun.  Although the type of fabric can make a big difference

https://permies.com/t/108813/effects-fabric-BO

Depending on how hot (I am a heat wimp) I wear a very wide brimmed straw hat and long sleeve, loose fitting shirt; I wet a kerchief for my neck, or my clothes, and/or I go sit in the small river that is in the shade of trees for 30 minutes or so.  I often sit in the river after my working day when the night will still be hot (no ac for me) and that lowers my body temp enough that I end up sleeping quite well, too.

Hi Barbara,

I had a flashback to one of my more frustrating Grand Canyon hikes. It was August and I was hiking solo …I think it was on one of the lesser used trails.  Anyway, I came upon a family with a pre- teen child who looked like he was flirting with heat stroke.  Fortunately, I could hear a stream nearby. Yes, I found it.  The water was ice cold …so it probably originated from a spring.  

I told the family to have their son lay in the stream to lower his core temp.  Nope, it wasn’t going to happen. They were terrified of what terrible things might be lurking in the stream. I have no idea what brochure they read that convinced them to take young children into a wilderness area without basic skills or supplies.  Every trailhead I know of in the Canyon has a highly visible sign that says, in essence … If you get into trouble beyond this point, you are screwed.

Honestly, for me, there is no way to stay productive when it's hot.

I get my most intense work done in the early morning or late evening. During the day, I focus on lighter tasks that don't require as much concentration.