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Dear Tacit,
Will rising temperatures affect my mental health?
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Signature: Is heat bad for our mental health?
Is heat bad for our mental health?
That’s a great question, and a timely one given some of the research articles I’ve been reading. The human body functions most efficiently at a temperature of about 71-72 degrees Fahrenheit (about 22 degrees Celsius). At this set point, the body functions smoothly and performs at its best physically, emotionally, and mentally. So, in fact, warmer temperatures have a very direct effect on a person’s mental health. But there are good and bad aspects to that…
The warm summer has started rather late this year, with rain in our area (which we all said was needed after the dry winter) and windier than normal weather, making it difficult for many of us to plan to get outdoors. For those of us who live in the northern climates of the country (where winter can last for 8+ months), summer is a much needed counterbalance to the isolation and claustrophobia that comes with every cold season. We can play in the yard, splash around outdoors, camp, soak up a healthy dose of Vitamin D, and rejuvenate in a variety of ways in the world outside our homes. These limited summer months play a big part in restoring our sanity.
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Interestingly, however, research has produced other warnings about the impact of rising temperatures on the average person’s mental health, for a few reasons.
Rising temperatures can change a person’s hydration levels, which can lead to cognitive problems, including brain fog and memory loss. Research shows that just 1% dehydration (which is often unnoticeable in everyday life, but you don’t feel thirsty until you’ve lost more than 2% of your body weight in water) can lead to a 5% decrease in cognitive function. Prolonged dehydration (even at these very low levels) can permanently shrink brain cells and brain mass. And this can lead to significant cognitive problems, especially as we age (I’m reaching for a glass of water as I type this, painfully aware that I don’t drink enough water every day! LOL).
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When the outside temperature rises, it can have a negative impact on your sleep cycle. Your body temperature needs to drop slightly below normal to enter the “deep sleep” stage of your sleep cycle. If you’re too hot, you’ll instead fall into “light sleep,” which can last for hours. Without enough “deep sleep” each night, your body can’t repair, grow, and flush important toxins from your body. When you wake up from a night of too much light sleep, you don’t feel fully rested and refreshed.
As temperatures rise, emotional sensitivity and anxiety levels often begin to increase as well. Heat tends to activate the body’s stress response, so the brain releases more cortisol and epinephrine. The body begins to physiologically panic, because rising temperatures increase heart rates, shallow breathing, and the risk of feeling dizzy increases. The brain interprets these changes as danger. People become more confused, more irritable, more impatient, and more likely to get into conflict.
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As outside temperatures rise, aggressive behavior and violent incidents also increase. Increased drug use is also correlated with a warmer external environment. When the day gets too hot, the production of serotonin and dopamine (two of the main happy hormones) decreases. Existing mental illnesses can also worsen, for example increasing psychotic episodes and manic mood swings. Also, some medications taken to treat various mental illnesses make it harder for the body to regulate its own temperature, so as outside temperatures rise, the body’s lack of ability to cool itself only gets worse. During heatwaves, every degree (Celsius) of outside temperature that’s too high has been found to increase suicide rates by one percent.
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All these changes (which may seem subtle to some) reduce our ability to manage stress. Relationships begin to suffer. Work performance suffers. Motivation and energy levels decrease. And often, people start to feel more helpless and incompetent, and self-esteem can be negatively affected.
So, yes, rising temperatures will affect our mental health in a variety of ways, and we encourage you to take steps to ensure that the warmth we will be enjoying over the next eight or so weeks will only improve your mental health, rather than negatively impact it.
be careful!
Kim Silverthorne is a Registered Clinical Counselling Master Practitioner (MPCC) with the Canadian Association of Professional Counsellors and owner and therapist at Tacit Knowledge, a local counselling agency in Beaumont. She has been providing therapeutic support for over 30 years.
If you have a question you’d like Dear Tacit to answer about mental health issues, feel free to email Kim at counselors@tacitknows.com This column is a psycho-educational support and is not a substitute for counseling.
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