5 Tips to Survive the British Summer in the Office

5 Tips to Survive the British Summer in the Office

Learn about how to survive the agonizing British summer heat with our 5 tips to survive the British summer in the office 🥵

It’s that time of year again. Insects in your room, sleeping on top of your duvet, picky bits for tea, patchy suntan, 99 ice creams (that cost £3.50), the pungent smell of sun cream and eye-crippling hay fever. The smell of BBQs hitting the air on a Saturday as the thunderstorm grumbles in the distance. Ah yes the British summer, the time of year Brits long for, and yet moan when it arrives.

And to top it all off, being inside is too hot and being outside is too hot. There’s no escape (unless you count the freezer aisle in the supermarket) from the sheer heat of the 20-degree British summer and work is no exception.

Sometimes the heat can become unbearable in the office and before you ask the question. No there is no max temperature that legally allows you to stop working. So instead of just complaining and sitting there in a pool of sweat we have shared with you some handy survival tips to endure the sweltering office in the summer.

1. Hydration

It may be an easy way out to share this very basic tip. But it’s far more important than people think. Around 80% of people believe that they don’t drink enough water every day. When we mean hydrating, we don’t mean fizzy drinks packed with sugar, we’re talking about water, squash or tea. So please take a moment now to get yourself a glass of water and have a swig of it.

2. Fans

I’m sure you’re already aware of fans being used to cool rooms down. That’s not rocket science. But you’re most likely not using them to the best of their abilities. Firstly place them as low as possible, because heat rises, the lower you place it, the better the chances are at moving cool air around. Next place a bowl or bucket full of ice in front of the direction of the blowing fan, the ice will cool the air down that’s pushed towards you feeling cooler and at ease.

3. Improvise, adapt, overcome (your dress code)

If looking smart and professional is part of your dress code, it can be uncomfortable to be in a full suit at work or wearing tights or cardigans. Which is why you need to adapt to the heat. Bear Grylls wouldn’t wear a parka and gloves in the desert, so why would you wear a full suit on a hot summer’s day? You can be wearing shorts or skirts with t-shirts, maybe even sandals. A uniform policy is important, but if you’re too stuffy in your clothing you might be struggling to work effectively and it may impact your productivity.

4. Keep blinds and curtains closed

Unless you’re a vampire (or Noel Fielding) you may already be doing this, then well done, you’re already cooler than everyone else. If you’re not a vampire or a teenager. Then maybe try out this instead, in the daytime, keeping your blinds closed will actually allow less heat into the room and keep you and your team feeling fresher.

5. Complain

We’re British. We’re good at complaining about the weather. It just makes a nice change that it’s not about rain! If worst comes to worst and it becomes unbearable, the solution may be to complain. Whether that is to secure more flexible hours to escape the late afternoon heat or to ask for aircon, or access to ice in your office. Suggesting improvements and compromises may be the best way to reach a cooler solution.

Hopefully, these solutions provide you with some relief from the pain of the British sun and allow you to survive this year’s misery. And don’t forget, when you escape the office, enjoy the sun safely with these tips from Cancer Research UK 🌞