Mental Health: How to Deal with Heat Related Anger

A Jet Blue employee quits his job after ranting at his stunned passengers, a Toledo woman wheedling a beer bottle fights with an employee then smashes the drive-thru window at a McDonalds because she wanted chicken nuggets before 11am. Something as simple as a slow line at an over-crowed grocery store could set off a violent episode of anger. Frustration is a normal part of being human however as summer temperatures continue to increase patience can decrease. Just like the thermometer heat related incidents of inappropriate behavior is [steadily] on the rise. Our inability to remain cool could ignite a powder keg of seething anger. All it takes is two or three 90 plus degree days to push to us to our limit.

This year has been one of the hotter summers I've experienced in quite a while. Urban cities have reached boiling temperature of 100 plus degrees. Cooler mountain regions with normal seasonal temperature of 75-85 degrees are seeing spikes in temperature as well into the 90's. I live in the Western North Carolina area at an elevation of roughly 2300 feet above sea level. Staying cool was not an issue. The mountain breeze kept our home cool and comfortable. This is the first summer we're required air conditioning. Keeping your body temperature low can be a challenging task. Here are a few tips on how to remain cool and more importantly calm.

Hydration: Staying hydrated keeps your thought process lucid. In addition to water and juice, remember to drink an electrolyte replacement drink as well as vitamin water.

Exercise: Being hot zaps your energy. You may think it's too hot to work out but during these extremely hot days dust off that gym membership and do a few laps in the pool. Afterwards have a smoothie or a low-fat fruit snack. Popsicles are a wonderful summer treat. They are low in calorie and cool you off quickly.

Yoga/Meditation: When feeling stressed try to keep yourself mentally relaxed and centered. Yoga helps you to stay composed, balanced and focused. In healthy individuals it can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. Meditation may help concentrate. Focus on breathing instead of the heat.

Vent to a Friend: There is nothing like a good "Bitch Session" with a trusted friend to relieve stress. Set an egg timer for ten minutes and let the bitching begin. When the timer goes off tell your friend thank you for listening and if needed let them vent.

Walking: Walking reduces stress. Take an early morning walk or walk at dusk when the temperature is lower. It will increase your stamina and mental tolerance.

Foot Baths: Remember the old cartoons of the hard working individuals coming home after a long, tiring day of work soaking their feet; something as simple as filling a basin with cool water can lower your core body temperature and relax the mind and refresh the spirits.

Remember cooler weather is just around the corner so close your eyes take a deep breath, count to 10 stay calm and stay cool.