23 Jul How to Survive Summer at Work

It’s already July. We’ve had the “hottest day of the year” at least three times already. The ‘quiet month’ of August is just around the corner. Here are our tips on how to get through summer months when you work at a desk (in an office, or at home):

• Switch to an open air commute. If you possibly can, then walk or cycle to work.  Getting fresh air away from public transport or the confines of your car feels liberating. If you can’t avoid the bus, car or train, then start your commute early before all the traffic and chaos. Enjoying summer shouldn’t be just for weekends.

• Air conditioning, fans and air dehumidifiers: essential! Good air conditioning is often found in the buildings of large organisations and in some serviced offices, but it’s by no means uniform. And of course so many are still working mainly from home. Air con seems an unnecessary expense when we are only blessed with a short summer in this country. It’s certainly a big outlay for the home if you’re paying for it. To cover brief spates of hotter weather, consider alternatives like fans, dehumidifiers and portable air conditioning units. Lynn Cowley-from our virtual office client HPS- reports steady numbers of orders at this time of year. “Getting the right working environment is about air quality as well as temperature. It’s not just about air con. For example, air purifiers can eliminate pollen and stop sneezing fits. You could also look at dehumidifiers. They work to lower humidity in the air. We find them ideal in the summer to maintain office humidity at 40% to 60%, which is the most comfortable level. When air is at the optimum level, you’ll feel better but also concentrate better. People notice the different straight away”.

• Lunch break: Get out of the office to enjoy the good weather – it’s enjoyable and the vitamin D builds your immunity. Bear in mind advice from Cancer Research UK. Keep a mini bottle of sunscreen handy- in your handbag, car or desk drawer. Remember that if your shadow is shorter than you are, then the sun is at its strongest. This will usually be between 11am and 3pm, peak lunch break time! Wear sunglasses of at least UV400 protection rating. It helps to protect your eyes from nasty diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration. Even contact lenses these days come with excellent UV protection.

• Water: Drink enough! Your body is two thirds water and needs to stay that way. Most offices have a water cooler. Keep glass bottles of tap water in the fridge or add a small splash of juice to encourage yourself to drink enough. 6-8 glasses a day is considered sensible. But you will definitely require more if you are exercising. Cut down on caffeine if you work in a very warm office. The dehydrating effects of caffeine have been exaggerated, but over four cups a day and you will find it becomes a diuretic, forcing too much water out of your system.

• Training: And if your problem isn’t health-related but a boring month? Use the quiet time of the year to do a course relevant to your career. No better time to update your skills. Because attendance tends to drop off in August, you might find some very advantageous discounts. You may also be able to arrange bookings more quickly. Another of our clients, Mass Information Systems arranges on-site (and now virtual) training for clients in specific software. They tell us: “August is actually not a bad time to arrange training. With most of our clients taking some annual leave, we have good availability of trainers. We can schedule training into the diary quickly at this time of year if a request comes in”.

To hire our lovely cool meeting rooms (they’re back!) or take office space for the summer months, contact news@mantleltd.com  Share your ideas for surviving summertime in the office by tweeting us at https://twitter.com/MantleLtd