The thermometer climbs, and with it, sometimes, cries. When temperatures get carried away, it is not only the bodies that tire, but also the nerves that heat. If the effects of heat wave on physical health are largely documented, Its impact on mental health is often ignored. Yet, The heat indeed modifies our behaviorand can make us more irritable, more aggressive, more impulsive.
This phenomenon has a name: the Long Hot Summer Effector “long and hot summer effect”. And according to several scientific studies, It’s not just an impression: we really become more nervous when it’s hot.
When temperature influences our behavior
One of the first works to demonstrate this link dates back to the 1970s. Two researchers, Paul Bell and Robert Baron, led an amazing experience: they placed students in a room with which they vary the temperature. A group could verbally criticize another group, which had the right to retaliate … by electroshoc. Result : The more hot it was, the more the aggressive answers multiplied. Conclusion of the authors: Heat promotes impulsive reactions.
Since then, other observations have supported this observation. In the United States, the National Football League analyzed matches played under different climatic conditions. The more the outside temperature rose, the more the violent offenses, faults and behaviors increased. Same thing at the wheel: several studies have shown that Motorists hide more and have increased risky behaviors During hot weather.
Heat, stress for the brain
But why this rise in tension? According to Dr. Florian Heindl, chief doctor in the emergency room of the Helios clinics in Munich, it is a physiological reaction:
“”When it is hot, our body expands its vessels to cool the body. This creates an overload for the heart, which must pump more. This physiological stress is felt as mental pressure, which promotes nervousness “.
In other words, the heat Increases the internal body load of the bodywhich consumes more energy to regulate its temperature. Result: the tolerance threshold decreases, Patience evaporates. Even everyday irritants – noise, waiting, clumsiness – become unbearable.
Simple gestures to prevent it from exploding
Good news: we can reduce these effects by limiting our exposure to heat peaks. For that :
- Avoid physical activities or outings at the hottest hours (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.);
- Hydrate yourself regularly, even without feeling of thirst;
- Close shutters and curtains to keep the pieces fresh;
- And if the irritation rises… Take a time of step back. Breathe. It may not be the person opposite who annoys you, But the thermometer.
The hot weather does not just burn the skin – they also affect our emotions. Understanding them better is already starting to manage them better.