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Monday, August 12, 40 departments are classified as orange alert for heatwave in France. While we often talk about its risks for physical health, did you know that heat also affects our mental health, making us particularly irritable? A study proves this particular effect, called Long hot summer effect.
It’s been hot for several days and you realize that you’ve been grumpy all this time? According to a study, there is a link between outside temperatures and our state of nervousness. A phenomenon that has a name: the Long hot summer effect, or the effect of a long and hot summer.
The impact of heat on our mental health
While we are well aware of the risks of heat on our bodies, we are less aware of its consequences on our behavior. In the 1970s, a study conducted by two scientists, Paul Bell and Robert Baron, studied this phenomenon. They brought together two groups of students, one of whom could criticize the other while the latter could respond with electroshocks. The researchers noticed a link between the temperature of the room and the frequency of responses. The hotter it was, the more the responses increased. They therefore deduced that temperature plays a role in the behavior of individuals.
Similar behaviors observed in other situations
This scientific study is not the only one to highlight this phenomenon. It has already been observed that motorists are more aggressive in high heat, as are athletes. For example, the National Football League in the United States has demonstrated the link between outdoor temperatures and an increase in offenses on the field. More seriously, high heat also has repercussions on acts of violence, such as more assaults.
Heat, a source of stress for the body
How can this connection be explained? According to Florian Heindl, head physician of the emergency department of the Helios Clinics in Munich West, who answers the media Focusin addition to sweating, to lower the temperature, our body vasodilates its blood vessels. This has the effect of overloading the heart, which must pump more to perform its functions. It is this load that would be felt as stress, facilitating nervousness.
During this heatwave, it is possible to avoid the extreme heat by following a few simple tips, such as drinking water regularly, avoiding going out and doing physical exercise during the hottest hours of the day, or closing the shutters and curtains on windows exposed to the sun. And if you feel a hint of irritation rising, take a breath and put things into perspective: it’s just because it’s too hot!
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