Heat impacts more than just your sweat glands.

💡 Takeaway

Your brain and your body don’t function well when overheated—and it’s not just about comfort. Heat stress affects your mood, energy, judgment, and patience. Think: road rage after a long summer drive, or that end-of-day meltdown after too much sun.

Even when you’re in water (pool, lake, ocean), your core temperature can still rise. Hydration helps, but so does intentional cooling—shade, breaks, and breathable clothing matter.

This isn’t just a summer tip—it’s a nervous system tip. Thermal regulation is emotional regulation. If you’re hot, tired, and agitated, your fuse is shorter. Your emotions run higher. Your ability to respond kindly? Lower.

Regulate your temperature to regulate your mood.
It’s not personal. It’s physiology.

🔬 Research & Neuroscience

Heat exposure is linked to increased aggression, irritability, and mental fatigue (Anderson, 2001).
High ambient temperatures can worsen attention and decision-making (Gaoua, 2010).
Thermoregulation is handled by the hypothalamus—the same brain region managing hormones, mood, and stress responses.
Skin cancer risk increases with sun exposure—even in water or on cloudy days. Sunburn contributes to immune strain and emotional dysregulation.

APA-style citations:

Anderson, C. A. (2001). Heat and violence. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10(1), 33–38. Article
Gaoua, N. (2010). Cognitive function in hot environments: A question of methodology. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(s3), 60–70. Article

🌞 Cultural Reframe

We praise productivity in summer but ignore the real physiological impacts of heat.

“Push through it” sounds motivational, but it’s also how you end up sunburned, dehydrated, and wondering why everyone seems so irritating.

You don’t have to be in a desert or stuck in traffic to be affected—just a day in the sun, even if you’ve been swimming, can push your system into mild overheating.

That cranky car ride where the AC’s busted and your exit is still an hour away? You’re not broken. You’re just hot.

Be kind to your system. Hydrate, cool off, reapply sunscreen. Your emotional bandwidth will thank you.

📚 Resources for the Curious

🎧 Podcast - Science Vs – “Sunscreen: Cancer Protector or Poison?”

📖 Book - Lichtenstein, G. (2023). The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet. Little, Brown.

📄 Tool - Download Sun + Mood Tracker PDF – Track your hydration, sun exposure, and mood across hot days.

✨ If You Only Remember One Thing...

Hot heads aren't always metaphorical.
Cool your body, hydrate your brain, and give your emotions some shade.