Summer days while working from home can feel like working in a sauna. I live in a condo where you essentially only have windows on one side of the unit and I had the misfortune to have my AC break down during the quarantine, which meant businesses are closed and I can’t hire anyone to fix it for me; so I did some research and here are five tips to help you keep cool while working from home:
Keep the sun out of your room
Having the sun directly shining in heats it up your room considerably. While I like a well lit environment when I work, I like working without sweating so much a lot more. I was fortunate to have been able to buy blackout curtains for my condo which helped trap the heat coming in from the windows, but in case you don’t you can always drape an extra blanket over, but make sure that your curtain rods can handle the weight.
Work Low
When my AC broke I started working on the floor especially when it gets hotter during the day, since it’s much cooler down there. This is because warm air rises to the top of the room so you would want to take advantage of that. It is uncomfortable sitting on the floor though so try to use some padding. For my case I use my exercise mat and drape a blanket over it as it will get sticky if you sweat. I also use a lap desk, but you can also work from your coffee table or any low surface.
Wear Lighter Clothing
Another adjustment you can make is wearing thinner or lighter clothing. I wear my sport shirts and board shorts, which do an effective job at getting the sweat off of my body making my skin cooler. You can take it a step further by using thinner underwear like the UniQlo Airism boxer briefs.
You can definitely go much much further by going clothes-less, but for me I wouldn’t do that during work hours because:
- As a courtesy :)
- For my routine, I find the action of getting ready and dressed for work helps immensely in getting my mind set for the workday. [^1]
Use an Air Circulator or Fan
This is a no brainier but there are ways you can use your fan to make your room or condo much cooler. I have been fortunate by having the forethought of buying a compact air circulator, as this thing does an awesome job of pushing air throughout my (small) condo unit, but you can do the same with your existing fan. Having it low on the floor circulates the cooler air. For those of you who have ceiling fans, check if they have a setting that allows it to spin counterclockwise therefore drawing the cooler air from below.
Drink Water Regularly
One of the constant heat generators in the house is ourselves. As we move we generate heat, even when we eat our bodies generate heat as we digest the food. Drinking water regularly and the resulting trips to the bathroom helps regulate our body temperature.
In Closing
So those are my five tips for keeping cool inside your house this summer.
If you have some ideas or suggestions you can reach out to me via Twitter.
If you like the tips please ‘like’ and subscribe. If you have some ideas or suggestions feel free to leave a comment below.
So until next time, keep safe! Be well! :)
[^1] Daniel Titchener has an excellent video that explains why getting dressed for work helps you overcome procrastination.
