Did you know that heat can significantly influence anxiety symptoms? Discover the relationship between heat and anxiety.
When we talk about anxiety, we are referring to a complex system of emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses. The person who suffers from this disorder perceives reality as threatening and interprets that something is or can be dangerous. The anxiety and heat They create a feeling of lack of control and from there a series of involuntary responses are triggered such as muscle tension, sweating, accelerated breathing, increased heart rate, sensation of suffocation that finally lead the person who suffers from it to avoid or escape from the situation that causes it.
This behavior very negatively in your mood By not being able to carry out certain activities or handle oneself properly in everyday situations, it triggers these unpleasant sensations for many people.
With the heat excessive, the brain needs to make an extra effort to maintain the body temperature within the normal operating ranges of our body, consuming a lot of energy, since changes occur in the brain metabolism, hyperactivating it, which triggers irritability.
This in turn leads to experiencing nervousness and fatigue, together with the typical sleep problems caused by the heat, and can ultimately influence a increased anxiety
This influence of heat in anxiety, occurs especially in the first days of summer, when the brain has to adapt and regulate this new situation of increased temperature with more intensity. It is therefore at the beginning of summer when the heat can contribute to an increase in cases of anxiety by acting more as a trigger for them.
As the summer season progresses, the body adapts in some way to the heat, most of the time reducing this feeling of irritability. On the other hand, vacations can act as a protector and have a positive influence, as we normally find ourselves in situations of greater relaxation, so the symptoms described are largely diluted and go more unnoticed, although this does not mean that they have disappeared.
On the other hand, we must also take into account that the symptoms that intense heat produces in the body are largely similar to what happens when we have anxiety, such as sweating, increased heart rate, feeling of suffocation, dizziness, etc. This makes the heat and anxiety They camouflage themselves with each other.
What to do when you have anxiety due to the heat?
It is very important to prevent, as much as possible, situations that could increase all the symptoms of heat and anxiety. Proper hydration of our body, cooling off when excessive heat is felt, avoiding exercise during hours of intense heat, wearing light clothing, staying as much as possible in places with less intense heat, all of them tips and habits that are necessary to everyone in these hot days and especially for people with anxiety problems
The important thing for those who suffer from this disorder is to intervene so that they do not interpret all these sensations as threatening and lack of control, and in this way manage to reduce their excessive worry, which in turn will reduce the intensity of the physiological sensations, allow recover activities that were being avoided and, above all, your emotional state will improve.
How to prevent anxiety and the heat that causes it?
There are some methods to be able to leave behind the relationship that occurs from anxiety and heat Through these small adjustments you can avoid discomfort and heat phobia.
1. Wear looser clothing
One of the most feasible methods to leave behind heat and anxiety that derives from it, is wearing looser clothing. Tighter clothing can cause a feeling of suffocation that leads to some anxiety.
2. Walk
Although it may seem like a lie, one of the best methods to combat heat and anxiety is to take a walk. This is very effective during anxiety at night or when you can’t sleep due to heat. Movement cools the body, which is why it helps combat hot flashes caused by summer nights.
3. Be active
Distracting yourself is an effective method to combat both anxiety and heat Through hobbies or activities to which you are similar, you can stop focusing on the sensation that heat produces and the stress generated by it.
4. Let go of negative thoughts
A way to forget the anguish generated by both the heat and anxiety, is avoiding negative thoughts. To do this, it can be very useful to dedicate a few hours a day to meditation and even mindfulness.
Many times the heat can generate certain feelings of overwhelm. In this way, high temperatures can lead to certain types of disorders such as anxiety, depression and stress Therefore, it is vitally important to take care of ourselves and our loved ones during these times of the year.
