Thursday 18 July 2013

Feeling HOT HOT HOT

Currently in Britain we are experiencing something of a rare occurrence, a heat wave, which is beautiful and everyone is in their short sleeved blouses however it is unusually hot for us. We haven't had heat like this since 2006! However typical of Britain, we spin out of control not knowing how to deal with such mercury levels. 

As the majority of the country sit in their un-airconditioned offices, staring longingly at the rippling heat outside, we felt it wise and appropriate to write about how do you survive in a heatwave at work?

  1. Don't work outside! We know many of you would love to be sunbathing whilst working - updating your twitter status to "Woo! Working outside whilst sunbathing!" but actually you could be doing more harm than good. Sunburn is uncomfortable and itchy as well as sometimes fatally damaging to your skin. You find yourself squinting at everything...Just think about the glare on your laptop screen...no matter how much you turn down the brightness, that sun just isn't going to go away! If you do have to go outside, remember to stay hydrated, spread on plenty of sunscreen of a decent level (30spf is a firm favourite in this office) and where possible, keep in the shade.
  2. Open those windows! The best solution to working a hot day we found is to turn down the blinds so no direct sunlight beams in as this creates more heat and to open the windows as much as we can. This allows the breeze (if any) to circulate the office but also stops your head from becoming clouded by the beaming sun and no air. If you live somewhere where the air is quite still, hopefully you'll be working in air-conditioning  if not, fans may be a good option.
  3. Wear comfortable clothing! The worst feeling in this weather is being uncomfortable in what you are wearing - chaffing thighs, sweaty fabric. Rest assured that our blouses are designed to allow comfort no matter what the weather. If it is cold, we have designed a beautiful range of knitwear to stop the chill, and in the heat our blouses are styled in a way to look beautiful yet be comfortable as stand alone pieces. Make sure you are comfortable in what you are wearing, as it is unlikely you will be able to change for a few hours!
  4. AGUA WASSER EAU WATER! It is imperative that you stay hydrated in weather like this. The last thing you want is heat stroke from being dehydrated, the migraines, dizziness and nausea are not worth it! One of the great urban myths of Summer is that drinking a hot drink such as tea will kick start our sweat glands and in theory cool you down more than a cold drink would. We however think there is nothing better than a good, cool glass of water. According to sources we should be looking to drink between 2.5 - 3 litres a day however each person is different. So we think the best advice is keep your fluids up, don't over drink but stay aware that you will probably need more water than usual in this heat as you will be perspiring more. 
We hope our heat advice is useful to you. Make sure you stay safe in the heat but also make sure you enjoy it as much as you can as it may be another 7 years before we get it again!



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