I feel SO SEEN in this essay, thank you! I've always known that heat bothers me (called it "heat rage"), but until the ND diagnosis, I just had all the shame about not being good at life. When I was 22, long before the diagnosis, a housemate watched me have a breakdown over something simple, and when I apologized later (I hadn't had the breakdown AT him, but still felt I needed to apologize), he said, "Oh I get that too. What I do is drink more water and move more slowly." And that advice had gotten me through SO MUCH. Just starting to notice and acknowledge it was a huge step - affirming that this was my reality, and adjusting to it as if it was a need, because it was. I got into the habit of saying to myself, when I noticed that I was approaching heat rage, "Right. I need to expect less of myself right now. Go drink some water and grab an ice pack and lay down. This will wait."
Also we had no AC at this time and I was pretty broke, so when I was home, I would just put 3-4 ice cubes in a kerchief or thin scarf and tie it around my neck, and drape a towel over my shoulders to catch the melt. Then I'd refill when needed. I always kept multiple ice cube trays (4?) Filled at a time for exactly occasions like these.
The other big accomodation is allowing myself to not do things during the afternoon. Even if the heat doesn't break at dusk, less light means less stimulation. I got a head lamp for camping and use it to do night gardening. I make picknic style food late at night so we have grab and go meals when it is still hot and light out.
Oh the heat. I’ve always had a fairly low tolerance for it, and paired with humidity it’s absolutely awful. It really does help a ton to read about someone else (you!) sharing how real heat intolerance is and how important it is to take care of ourselves. Also, very interesting about MTHRFR. Gonna have to look into it.
It made me rethink a lot of things when at some point in the not-too-distant past, I realized that I interpret being 'too hot' as feeling sadness.
It's amazing how many times I think my brain is feeling crappy when it is actually my body wanting to be cooler. And once I realize this and make the temp cooler, it's like - I'm completely fine now, what was I stressed about? Urg. I just thought I was sad all the time. How much of that was in the summer, and me just not realizing I needed to turn the A/C up, and I would be fine?
thank you for bringing this up! the struggle is real, friends. i'm prone to migraines and live in the humid sauna that is the mid-south. i also am pretty sure i had mild heat-stroke a few weeks ago. i know what you mean about the emotional/mental aspects of heat exhaustion as well. the best (Very Expensive Privileged) investment i made this summer was joining a pool. it's so strange but when i go in the mornings especially, i feel cooled down the rest of the day, even though i'm going right back to my window-unit-only AC house. definitely gonna look into this ice neck wrap thing, because there are a few outdoor events i want to go to later in the summer and i want to feel better at them.
I have the opposite problem - cold intolerance - which is part of why I moved to Florida. But a couple summers ago my AC was out for MONTHS and ho-boy, did I learn some things. I tinted all my windows and made sure I didn't have to move my body after 1 in the afternoon. Even then I mixed Gatorade with my water so I wouldn't get dehydrated....while inside 😳😳
I would love more words from you on the MTHF (I call it the "motherfucker") gene mutation. My cousin and her twins have it (she's written a whole book which I am loathe to read 😬), and they've spent literally millions remediating mold and trying to build off grid as a mitigation. Sometimes her stuff feels a bit...abelist and priveleged...which is probably why I had no idea there were supplements that could help.
And this is exactly why I don’t want to go down the rabbit hole of researching and writing about medical stuff or even supplements! The pipeline to the alt-right is SO real (and my mom is in that category). But yeah there are just supplements you can take if you have the gene mutation 😂
The funny thing is, she's not alt-right. She's this odd mash up of liberal and crunchy that's actually more triggering than alt-right crunchy. It completely weirds me out.
Yes, I absolutely wilt if it is too hot. I get lethargic and just can't make myself do things. I drink lots of ice water. And have a system so I make sure to have ice when I need it.
I've also started investing in clothes for hot weather: Marino wool, linen, silk (when it's on sale). It's so helpful to have stuff that breathes!! Especially getting wool undies (I like boxer briefs), that are long enough to work as shorts so they protect from chafeing.
The summer brain fog and grumpiness and exhaustion and MALAISE are so real! I’m even grumpy trying to string two sentences together, so thank you for taking the time to write this and affirm these needs/sensitivities. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing all this! I’ve always struggled in the hot humidity of mid-summer, but I used to feel like it was somehow a personal failure.. like I wasn’t tough enough to not wilt like a pansy(?!) Silly to think back on that, now that I know better. I do still get really irritable when I’m overheated, but not as panicky, now that I’ve learned over time that I need to cool down, find some shady spot to sit, and maybe even leave whatever place I’m in.
I’ve been working since April on my yard, landscaping and gardening, and I’ve recently started taking siestas, with or without actual naps. I don’t have central A/C either, so on the days when the window units can’t keep up, I pull out some extra fans and keep my spray bottle close at hand. Evaporation is my friend!
Aww thanks for writing this! I’m in Phoenix, so we do have AC, but the climate anxiety doom spiral is so so so familiar. It’s 118 out today and hundreds of people will die outside in our heat this summer and our mountains are so brown right now and it’s fire season and I have to keep our AC at 80 or I’m wasting electricity, and, well, you know.
I’ve learned to be super super picky about which fabrics I wear. I feel good in cotton and linen so I wear those almost all the time. I did get mesh shorts to prevent chafing under dresses and they have helped so much.
I have really light eyes and am prone to light-triggered migraines, especially in the summer. The light reflecting off people’s chrome car trim will trigger a migraine. I hate it. I’ve learned to keep sunglasses every where (Goodr brand is SO comfy) and to keep Tylenol in the car and in every bag to stave off migraines.
Totally feel this. I’m in South Florida and also very picky about fabric and clothing because if I’m not I’ll be exhausted only from walking from a store to my car. I really try to stay in the AC 24/7 and I am trying to work out my life so I can just go to Canada lake country every winter to escape the heat. Though I feel a bit guilty as I know this isn’t very possible for most.
Hats! Yes. I’ve been wearing baseball hats outdoors and in public for the last year and I love it. Added bonus: I feel like it gives me more space, like wearing a hood. It’s comforting.
This post has made me feel seen and understood. Thank you. I have felt more anxious the last few days (heat but also major loss anniversary) and you sharing your experiences is like a breath of fresh, cool air. Teary eyed as I read. I get there with the thought spiral and being overwhelmed. It’s basically like not allowing myself to win. Shame for taking care of myself and overwhelmed and not ok if I don’t.
Thank you for taking care of us in this corner of the interwebs. ❤️
I grew up in the desert where long, hot summers are the norm, but of course it's getting more extreme everywhere. The old joke about "at least it's a dry heat" is also true - I now live somewhere that gets just as hot but has a lot more humidity, and the summers are so much more of a struggle. If you live somewhere that is new to this kind of weather, I'm so sorry. My top tip is that if there's something you need to do outside between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., no you don't. The only acceptable outdoor activity during those hours is sitting in the shade with a cold drink and a fan and/or breeze (this may sometimes be preferable to a stuffy house if you don't have AC). Working/being active outside in those temps gets dangerous in a hurry and most people are not great at recognizing their physical limits until it's too late. It is vitally important that you drink AND eat enough. Your body does have mechanisms to deal with heat, but they will not function without the necessary supplies. If you do live in a drier climate where it cools off a lot after dark and you don't have AC, open! those! windows! A lot of older houses (esp. in the south) were built with airflow in mind, so take advantage.
When I first started wearing linen it felt like a cruel joke because where had this been all my life? Real linen can be pricey, but it's getting easier to find linen-blend stuff that's effective and more affordable. Old Navy has some wide-leg trousers and oversized button-down shirts that I love.
Heat intolerance is the worst. The. Wooooooooorst. I wish I could shed my skin and just stick my skeleton and nervous system in the freezer.
My survival tools: ice packs, handheld fans with spritzers, and most importantly, neck fans! They can get a bit pricey, but if you pair a fan with a couple ice packs and some cold water it's pretty effective. I don't feel as bad about using AC because I can't really help it. It's something I need in order to function as a human. I try to avoid using ChatGPT or other AI tools for literally anything personal/work related since those absolutely guzzle water, even on an individual basis with short conversations. That and my emotional support reusable water bottle are how I'm trying to "offset" my AC usage lol.
I feel SO SEEN in this essay, thank you! I've always known that heat bothers me (called it "heat rage"), but until the ND diagnosis, I just had all the shame about not being good at life. When I was 22, long before the diagnosis, a housemate watched me have a breakdown over something simple, and when I apologized later (I hadn't had the breakdown AT him, but still felt I needed to apologize), he said, "Oh I get that too. What I do is drink more water and move more slowly." And that advice had gotten me through SO MUCH. Just starting to notice and acknowledge it was a huge step - affirming that this was my reality, and adjusting to it as if it was a need, because it was. I got into the habit of saying to myself, when I noticed that I was approaching heat rage, "Right. I need to expect less of myself right now. Go drink some water and grab an ice pack and lay down. This will wait."
Also we had no AC at this time and I was pretty broke, so when I was home, I would just put 3-4 ice cubes in a kerchief or thin scarf and tie it around my neck, and drape a towel over my shoulders to catch the melt. Then I'd refill when needed. I always kept multiple ice cube trays (4?) Filled at a time for exactly occasions like these.
“Right. I need to expect less of myself right now.” SO GOOD 😍😍😍
The other big accomodation is allowing myself to not do things during the afternoon. Even if the heat doesn't break at dusk, less light means less stimulation. I got a head lamp for camping and use it to do night gardening. I make picknic style food late at night so we have grab and go meals when it is still hot and light out.
I eat so many sandwiches and salads.
Oh the heat. I’ve always had a fairly low tolerance for it, and paired with humidity it’s absolutely awful. It really does help a ton to read about someone else (you!) sharing how real heat intolerance is and how important it is to take care of ourselves. Also, very interesting about MTHRFR. Gonna have to look into it.
It made me rethink a lot of things when at some point in the not-too-distant past, I realized that I interpret being 'too hot' as feeling sadness.
It's amazing how many times I think my brain is feeling crappy when it is actually my body wanting to be cooler. And once I realize this and make the temp cooler, it's like - I'm completely fine now, what was I stressed about? Urg. I just thought I was sad all the time. How much of that was in the summer, and me just not realizing I needed to turn the A/C up, and I would be fine?
Yes I used to joke about having reverse SAD — summer affective disorder 😂 now I know it’s partly due to heat intolerance!
thank you for bringing this up! the struggle is real, friends. i'm prone to migraines and live in the humid sauna that is the mid-south. i also am pretty sure i had mild heat-stroke a few weeks ago. i know what you mean about the emotional/mental aspects of heat exhaustion as well. the best (Very Expensive Privileged) investment i made this summer was joining a pool. it's so strange but when i go in the mornings especially, i feel cooled down the rest of the day, even though i'm going right back to my window-unit-only AC house. definitely gonna look into this ice neck wrap thing, because there are a few outdoor events i want to go to later in the summer and i want to feel better at them.
I have the opposite problem - cold intolerance - which is part of why I moved to Florida. But a couple summers ago my AC was out for MONTHS and ho-boy, did I learn some things. I tinted all my windows and made sure I didn't have to move my body after 1 in the afternoon. Even then I mixed Gatorade with my water so I wouldn't get dehydrated....while inside 😳😳
I would love more words from you on the MTHF (I call it the "motherfucker") gene mutation. My cousin and her twins have it (she's written a whole book which I am loathe to read 😬), and they've spent literally millions remediating mold and trying to build off grid as a mitigation. Sometimes her stuff feels a bit...abelist and priveleged...which is probably why I had no idea there were supplements that could help.
And this is exactly why I don’t want to go down the rabbit hole of researching and writing about medical stuff or even supplements! The pipeline to the alt-right is SO real (and my mom is in that category). But yeah there are just supplements you can take if you have the gene mutation 😂
The funny thing is, she's not alt-right. She's this odd mash up of liberal and crunchy that's actually more triggering than alt-right crunchy. It completely weirds me out.
Yes, I absolutely wilt if it is too hot. I get lethargic and just can't make myself do things. I drink lots of ice water. And have a system so I make sure to have ice when I need it.
I've also started investing in clothes for hot weather: Marino wool, linen, silk (when it's on sale). It's so helpful to have stuff that breathes!! Especially getting wool undies (I like boxer briefs), that are long enough to work as shorts so they protect from chafeing.
I’ve been wanting to research the best clothes for hot Texas. I need long pants cuz of bugs …jeans are not great!
The summer brain fog and grumpiness and exhaustion and MALAISE are so real! I’m even grumpy trying to string two sentences together, so thank you for taking the time to write this and affirm these needs/sensitivities. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing all this! I’ve always struggled in the hot humidity of mid-summer, but I used to feel like it was somehow a personal failure.. like I wasn’t tough enough to not wilt like a pansy(?!) Silly to think back on that, now that I know better. I do still get really irritable when I’m overheated, but not as panicky, now that I’ve learned over time that I need to cool down, find some shady spot to sit, and maybe even leave whatever place I’m in.
I’ve been working since April on my yard, landscaping and gardening, and I’ve recently started taking siestas, with or without actual naps. I don’t have central A/C either, so on the days when the window units can’t keep up, I pull out some extra fans and keep my spray bottle close at hand. Evaporation is my friend!
I wrote this post specifically for folks who blame themselves for being heat sensitive so they could hopefully feel less shame 🧡
Thank you so much. ❤️
Aww thanks for writing this! I’m in Phoenix, so we do have AC, but the climate anxiety doom spiral is so so so familiar. It’s 118 out today and hundreds of people will die outside in our heat this summer and our mountains are so brown right now and it’s fire season and I have to keep our AC at 80 or I’m wasting electricity, and, well, you know.
I’ve learned to be super super picky about which fabrics I wear. I feel good in cotton and linen so I wear those almost all the time. I did get mesh shorts to prevent chafing under dresses and they have helped so much.
I have really light eyes and am prone to light-triggered migraines, especially in the summer. The light reflecting off people’s chrome car trim will trigger a migraine. I hate it. I’ve learned to keep sunglasses every where (Goodr brand is SO comfy) and to keep Tylenol in the car and in every bag to stave off migraines.
Totally feel this. I’m in South Florida and also very picky about fabric and clothing because if I’m not I’ll be exhausted only from walking from a store to my car. I really try to stay in the AC 24/7 and I am trying to work out my life so I can just go to Canada lake country every winter to escape the heat. Though I feel a bit guilty as I know this isn’t very possible for most.
Hats! Yes. I’ve been wearing baseball hats outdoors and in public for the last year and I love it. Added bonus: I feel like it gives me more space, like wearing a hood. It’s comforting.
This post has made me feel seen and understood. Thank you. I have felt more anxious the last few days (heat but also major loss anniversary) and you sharing your experiences is like a breath of fresh, cool air. Teary eyed as I read. I get there with the thought spiral and being overwhelmed. It’s basically like not allowing myself to win. Shame for taking care of myself and overwhelmed and not ok if I don’t.
Thank you for taking care of us in this corner of the interwebs. ❤️
I grew up in the desert where long, hot summers are the norm, but of course it's getting more extreme everywhere. The old joke about "at least it's a dry heat" is also true - I now live somewhere that gets just as hot but has a lot more humidity, and the summers are so much more of a struggle. If you live somewhere that is new to this kind of weather, I'm so sorry. My top tip is that if there's something you need to do outside between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., no you don't. The only acceptable outdoor activity during those hours is sitting in the shade with a cold drink and a fan and/or breeze (this may sometimes be preferable to a stuffy house if you don't have AC). Working/being active outside in those temps gets dangerous in a hurry and most people are not great at recognizing their physical limits until it's too late. It is vitally important that you drink AND eat enough. Your body does have mechanisms to deal with heat, but they will not function without the necessary supplies. If you do live in a drier climate where it cools off a lot after dark and you don't have AC, open! those! windows! A lot of older houses (esp. in the south) were built with airflow in mind, so take advantage.
When I first started wearing linen it felt like a cruel joke because where had this been all my life? Real linen can be pricey, but it's getting easier to find linen-blend stuff that's effective and more affordable. Old Navy has some wide-leg trousers and oversized button-down shirts that I love.
Heat intolerance is the worst. The. Wooooooooorst. I wish I could shed my skin and just stick my skeleton and nervous system in the freezer.
My survival tools: ice packs, handheld fans with spritzers, and most importantly, neck fans! They can get a bit pricey, but if you pair a fan with a couple ice packs and some cold water it's pretty effective. I don't feel as bad about using AC because I can't really help it. It's something I need in order to function as a human. I try to avoid using ChatGPT or other AI tools for literally anything personal/work related since those absolutely guzzle water, even on an individual basis with short conversations. That and my emotional support reusable water bottle are how I'm trying to "offset" my AC usage lol.
Any hat recs ? Love baseball caps but they are too hot for Texas heat
visors, or i have one with a mesh back so it's basically a visor!
And the climate anxiety is a big factor too
any time i think about AC/electricity/heat too much, yeah. solidarity. (and getting anxious makes me sweatier!) sigh.