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Working from home is now the norm for a considerable chunk of Britain’s workforce due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. What’s more, this week is set up to be the hottest of the year so far, meaning those of us who are still working from home will have to cope without office air conditioning, and it’s extremely unusual to have air conditioning in your home living in the UK, despite temperatures getting hotter year on year. However, there are some simple things you can do to help keep the heat at bay while working from the kitchen table.
Get undressed
Working from home has thrown out the rulebook! If you don’t have any zoom meetings, or nosy neighbours, wearing as little as possible will help you keep cool.
Wearing cotton and natural clothing will help keep you cooler for longer, as will removing any socks or shoes.
However do be sure to not totally undress in case the postman comes.
Keep hydrated
Drinking plenty of water is essential regardless of whether its very hot or not.
Getting in eight glasses a day doesn’t just help cool you down but will help you concentrate much better.
Avoid tea or coffee, because caffeine will dehydrate you.
Freeze a hot water bottle
Just as you would in the winter, try using a hot water bottle.
Freeze it, though, rather than fill it with boiling water, and sit with it against your feet.
Your feet and ankles are particularly sensitive to heat, as they have lots of pulse points: popping something cool against them will initiate a cool-down effect throughout your body.
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Eat light
Having a heavy lunch can make you lethargic and sap the energy out of you even when it’s not hot.
Making something lighter without many carbs will help keep cool for longer.
Natural sugars in fruit can also boost your energy and help you concentrate better.
Change your working hours
If you’re self employed this can be helpful as office hours may not apply to you.
If you can, work in the evenings when its darker and cooler so you can concentrate better.
This is a double whammy, as it means you can top up your tan in the daytime
Shut out the sun
It might seem counter-intuitive to close the windows and blinds, but it can actually help control the temperature of your house.
Closing the blinds will stop your home office from turning into a greenhouse.
Keep a fan on near you to make up for the lack of breeze from closed windows.
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