AIBU to hate this hot weather

If hot weather makes you feel ill then you are not being unreasonable. Do you suffer from hayfever? It can sometimes make you feel weak and dizzy.

No not hayfever just heat exhaustion

Lots of us do all we can to keep out of the heat as it can make us ill. When broadcasters say what lovely weather we are having I beg to disagree. I enjoy sunshine but not heat. I don’t sunbathe, I avoid going out in it if I possibly can and sit in the shade.
Can you draw your curtains to keep your home cool? Invest in a fan? Wear loose cotton clothing?

I’m with you sazzi. I just keep in the one room that’s really cool, aircon in the car, walk on the shady side of the road, fan going in the bedroom. Like you I feel de-energised and just not myself. I never used to feel like this. I thing coping mechanism for dealing with extremes of weather are now defunct in my older age. I think we’ll both feel better when these high temperatures abate. Shame, because I used to love this weather and don’t really want to moan about it.

I used to cope better when I was younger but find it's getting worse as I get older. Can't do anything in the afternoon or evening until the temperature goes down nowadays. So annoying to be like this every summer.

Budge up sazzl and I'll have a lie down right beside you. I don't mind this kind of heat when I'm on holiday in an air conditioned hotel and have no work to do, but trying to get work done when I'm completely devoid of energy is really difficult. I get heatstroke very easily so I stay out of the sun or wear a hat that turns my head into a mini sauna. Fortunately my lovely Edwardian house stays wonderfully cool so I hole up in my sitting room as much as I can.

I was stupid yesterday and ironed for two hours. Th was saying how hot he was, I could have thrown the ironing at him ...lol...

Another here who sits in the shade, always wearing a sun hat, loads of cold water from the fridge.

It makes me feel ill, too. It’s like being in a nightmare. It’s the reason I’m typing this at 5.15 in the morning, having been awake since 3-ish. I’m going to have a cool bath soon, then do the washing. This house never gets cool at the moment, and it’s even worse outside.

What on earth is enjoyable about hot weather?

I go into Mediterranean Mode. Wake early, do what’s necessary in the way of housework and shopping, stop by eleven and rest, do nothing but read and snooze indoors, garden and water pots after five, sit outside with a glass of wine and go to bed late.

Except that here towards the east coast it’s clouded over in the evenings, the temperature drops and the mist doesn’t clear until morning so the glass of wine outside hasn’t happened. This morning though, it’s sunny. And warm! Closing the curtains on the sunny side and opening windows on the shady side right now. Mediterranean Mode!

nfk going in to Mediterranean Mode is the answer.

Sazzl this is a genuine question - what did you expect that the GP could do for you?

Nope can't cope with it either and never sit outside in it - well in any weather come to that!

I’m like Nfk - slip into Mediterranean Mode. Walk the dogs at silly o’clock. Come back then shower and eat breakfast outside before it gets too hot.

Luckily the house stays cool downstairs and I draw the blinds down and close curtains upstairs so the bedrooms stay cool.

Lots of umbrellas in garden near tables to create shade. Lots of drinks. Have a siesta at midday etc.

Another in med mode here. Up early early, afternoon siesta then out again early evening. Tonigh it's dining alfresco with Chinese menu + friends

Yes, it's very hot so it's Mediterranean Mode here as well. I'm late this morning but just going to take the dogs out, we have a lovely breeze so a short walk for them before they go into the stone floor of the Utility.
I can't sit in the sun or do much at all between 11 and 4 unless I'm in the shade. It can't last much longer and when the rain comes, no doubt many will complain about that.

I think it is very true that as we age we become less tolerant of extremes of temperature. Children and young adults rarely feel the cold or the heat -just look at your grandchildren in the snow or splashing in a paddling pool!
But is much of how we feel not also in the mind? Look back at how miserable we all felt in the weeks and weeks of rain, how fed up we were in the dark snowy days of January and journeys to the family had to be put on hold?
Our daily routine has to change when we encounter extremes of weather. I can remember my mother hoovering in her petticoat in the very early morning when it was hot, any gardening was done in the cool of the evening and we children would splash around in the garden in the paddling pool in our knickers!
Now that we no longer need to face the hell of the daily commute, the tyranny of offices or schools without air conditioning we can at least allow ourselves to relax.
Housework can be left - how much do we really need to do now we no longer have children running around? Ironing - no office shirts to iron, can we not reduce the rest by careful folding and a quick pat?
I also recommend the refrigerated cabinet aisles of your local supermarket!
But if all else fails, it will probably be raining by mid July. Remember when they appointed a Minister for Drought in 1976? The heavens opened the next day!

I'm fine if I can stay in my sewing room - the coolest room in the house. However, yesterday we had to attend a hospital appointment at the hottest time and almost melted! Wiped us out for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, as I still have to work, Mediterranean mode is not an option!

My office is at the top of a converted barn, right up under the eaves with only a velux window.

I took one of my fans from home in to work, made hardly any difference.

As long as I 'm indoors, I 'm fine. Glad to have old stone walls! Sitting reading at wide - open windows is my answer.
Haven't been outside very much but tend to be a bit over-anxious about cool drinks and sun cream so never really relax.

That about sums it up, Maw. It’s an age thing. I don’t remember previous heatwaves flooring me to the same extent as this one has done. Most of the day, our living room is cool, and since we had a solid roof put on the conservatory, which gets the sun from lunch time onward, it is usually much cooler in there, but it was up in the nineties yesterday by late afternoon with the blinds down and the doors open! There is no sign of it breaking yet so it’s a case of adjust, adjust, adjust!

Phoenix, that’s the nub of it. We aren’t geared up for any extremes in temp so it’s always a challenge

Another here that is unable to function in this heat. Even after having a cooling shower; a brief walk from bathroom to bedroom leaves me perspiring heavily and feeling like I need another. On work days, any make-up applied has melted before I've left the house. I just feel permanently jiggered and weary. I promise I won't complain when the rain comes!

I can't tolerate the heat now and usually wait until later in the day to sit in the garden. I either sit under a large parasol in the back garden or under a covered terrace in the front. The downstairs of house remains a comfortable temperature but upstairs can be uncomfortable so the Dyson fan that is not a fan comes into it's own.

I do feel sorry for those who actually feel ill but otherwise let’ enjoy it. As Maw says, why worry about housework and ironing. It won’t last for ever. To be honest it may be hot but it’s not too humid and many places have a pleasant breeze. Enjoy not having to take jumpers and raincoats and enjoy eating lighter clothes. Make sure you cover up before Granny70s sees you though .?

I was hoping there was some form of medication that would enable me to be ok in slightly higher temperatures.