Tips for staying productive and healthy during this hot weather

It’s obscenely hot here in Kampala (and the rest of the country) and I’m not about to whine about it. This time I’m taking full advantage of this weather to be a lot more productive. I have some tips and tricks that I’ve used in past years to enjoy this sizzling weather while maintaining my balance. Whether it’s taking a chill on a Saturday or a busy Monday in office, there are many ways that we can enjoy this nice weather while still working hard.

At work

 Porch office. It is much more comfortable to work from a place with fresh running air. Well some offices do have a nice patio; if you’re permitted to work there do not hesitate. You’ll find that you are more relaxed and will be able to do more than you would if you were inside the office. If you’re working at home, you can set up base in your back yard without much official procedure. Remember though to carry a good outdoor extension for power supply.

 Hack those hours. If you can get some of your work done at home, you will find, that waking up early to get started on it, will give you a break when the sun is soaring in the afternoon and you can hardly concentrate. I’m not saying that you should get up at 5am to start going, but if there is a way you can get most of your work done before the day heats up, you will be more than glad you did.

Coffee shops with patios. Not everyone lives in a place with a deck or porch, but anyone can scope out the neighborhood patios at places with free Wi-Fi. Save those dark coffee shops for the rainy days, and find a few cafes with better access to the sun for your sunny work. There are a couple of local coffee shops and restaurants in the middle of town with nice patios where you can work outside while also getting a change of scenery. Some of them even have outdoor power outlets; this can be really helpful. Working on a patio can be even more fun if you get a few people together for some co-working sessions or schedule some of your meetings for outdoor locations

 While relaxing

Let the sun shine in. Most of us, dash to work in the morning and then back home when the sun is down so we never really get to experience the impact, the sun could have on the furniture and linens in our home. When then? If you have a free weekend, open those curtains and let all the rays beam in. Scientific research relates our well-being of mind with being in well-lit places. The sun is giving us its most prized possession abundantly ; bask in it while you can.

 Make a pool or beach themed party. The sun is up there and we can’t fight it, what do we do? I say cool it off. Now would be the perfect time for a beach volley ball game, laughter, clear photographs and memories made in splashes of water. Don’t doubt it, if the water was always too cold for you, now it’s just the right temperature. You can take the children along for a family picnic. Eat that ice-cream….the hot chocolate will have its time…..It will be the best time you ever spent in the sun, trust me.

Healthy snacking. First, our energy levels will vary according to what we spend our days doing. Someone who gets up really early to do some serious work will need a rich protein and fiber full breakfast. However snacks are what we eat between meals and most times we find that they will make us pile on weight. We have listed a few things you can gorge on without having to feel guilty after. Tortillas dipped in tomato sauce, punchy fruit salad, nuts with raisins, and yoghurt with fruit.

 Juice up, but water is better. Over our lunch break, it’s very common to catch us sipping a cold soda, but what juice can offer you is so much more. Remember that nutritional value next time. Juices are lovable because they come in fancy colors and cocktails, pineapple, orange, mango and my favorite, watermelon. Your body craves it now more than ever because heat accelerates metabolism. Dehydration resulting into a headache is just another way of your body trying to tell you that you need water. It’s not easy to catch on, but you are the benefactor. Take a glass every morning and before you go to bed. If it gets too hot where you work continuously poke the water dispenser.

Skin care

Moisturizing: We walk around in our skin all day, if there is anything we should pay attention to, that’s it. Our skin is more than just a coat of dermis, it is layers of who we are, an expression of our vitality and our health. Our skin may be gifted with melanin giving it the ability to withstand damage from UV penetration, but that doesn’t mean, the sun can’t harm it at all.

 So how do you take care? Investing in a body cream that provides deep moisturizing and certain UV protection is the best bargain. This applies to men as well; your body needs all the moisture it can lock in to be able to look healthy and supple. With all this heat, your body is going to be losing more moisture than you anticipated. Some of the moisturizers I can say have worked wonders for beautiful African skin are Palmer’s, Revlon, L’Oreal and many others really. Some of them can be got at a reasonable price if you go to a trusted cosmetics shop or pharmacy.

 Wind the day up in a hot bath: For many of us, the shower is a chap chap. In and out. During the sunny days however, you need to get closer to your tub. I say this because taking a bath is not just to get clean. It’s much more profound, to get refreshed, to feel cleansed and to relieve the day’s stress. You need this now more than ever because: with the sun heating everything up, there is so much dust rising, days are uncomfortable and sweaty. Everything is heightened that’s why you need to take extra time in that shower to ensure you’ve scrubbed it all off.

  Start with a quick shower, then soak in the tub (with scented soaps, salts and candles if you wish) for about twenty minutes, then rinse off, moisturize and you’ll feel like a different person. The beauty with this little indulge bath, is that it soaks you all through, ensuring to replace some of the skin cells lost moisture . And since you can’t do it in the morning as you rush out, the evening is the best time

LAST APPEAL- Recycle please

 We know the reason for the scorching sun. If you do not, labor to get informed. We are the reason the planet is getting so heated, we are polluting too much and our carbon imprint is starting to take a toll on the climate. We are all accountable, however a fight as big as this starts with an individual. DO NOT LITTER, reuse as much plastic and polythene as you can, or collect and give it back to the companies. It will take time but one step at a time.

 I hope you can now look at the sun through different glasses. Sure it may be sizzling, but it’s not what the sizzle does, it’s more about what we can do to have a good sizzle. An old saying goes, experience is not what happens to a man, and it’s what a man does when it happens. Enjoy the sun shine y’all……xx

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