I’ve always loved the heat. Put me by a river with a mat and a good book, and I’m in heaven. But 30ºC in London? That hits different. It’s not just that most of us don’t have AC in our homes; we don’t have the infrastructure to support working, commuting, looking after babies, sleeping or socialising in these sorts of temperatures.

So, I’ve been going through the heatwave archives in search of cooling tips. I still like to run when it’s warm, but I’ve been following expert advice and choosing the most shaded routes and concentrating on hydration. That means popping a dose of electrolytes into my huge Stanley tumbler once I’m home. I’ve also been reading up on the symptoms of heat stroke, just to make sure I can spot the signs and prevent it from happening to my child.

I’ve noticed several friends talking about feeling like they’re overheating, thanks to their SSRI prescriptions. If that’s you, read this. And if you’ve got ADHD and are struggling to function, we’ve also got you covered.

While it might be tempting to live on beer and ice lollies, you do still need to eat proper grub – the heat can really impact our guts. Find out how (and what to do about it). And lastly, here’s what the experts recommend for trying to sleep in tropical conditions. Something tells me we’re going to need this advice again and again this summer. 

It’s often marketed as the ultimate empowerment tool – something that buys you time to live the life you want. But, as more and more women are finding out, paying to have your eggs extracted and frozen isn’t the end of the matter. Surreptitious charges are leaving thousands of women facing a devastating conundrum: get into debt to use their eggs or give up on the idea of having a family. Here, writer Grace Adepetun explores the realities of falling into the ‘thaw gap’.

Question:

I want to be more prepared for the next heat wave. What’s your one tip for (psychologically) staying cool and calm?

Answer:

When temperatures rise, many people focus on cooling the body, but they often forget about calming the nervous system. 

One concept I often share with clients is what I call ‘the pause theory’. During a heatwave, we tend to move from one thing to the next without stopping. We spend more time outdoors, become more social and often push through tiredness because the weather feels like an opportunity that should be enjoyed. While enjoyable, it can also be surprisingly overstimulating.

My advice is to intentionally build small pauses into your day. Step away for a few moments, find some shade, slow your breathing, put your phone down or simply sit quietly without feeling the need to be productive. These short moments act as a reset for the nervous system and can help prevent feelings of overwhelm from building throughout the day.

Staying calm in a heatwave is not always about doing more to manage the heat. Sometimes it is about creating more space for the body and mind to keep up with it.