We here at Rest from Stress are based in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Imagine this: It’s 7 a.m. and already 90 degrees. By mid-afternoon, your car seat could fry an egg, your steering wheel could brand cattle, and your patience… well, let’s just say it’s running on fumes.

Heat doesn’t just make us sweaty, it changes how we function. Research shows that high temperatures affect our bodies and minds in ways that make patience, focus, and clear thinking harder to maintain.

We have good news! With a little science and a few small internal and external tweaks, you can keep both your body and your mind cool, no matter how hot things get outside.

Why Heat Messes With Your Mind

Your body is built to maintain a stable core temperature, around 98.6°F. When it’s hot outside, your system has to work overtime to stay in that range: directing blood toward your skin, making you sweat, and sometimes triggering a faster heartbeat to circulate heat out.

All that physical effort drains energy from your brain. In hot conditions, studies show:

• Irritability increases. Elevated temperatures can shorten tempers and make emotional regulation more difficult.
• Cognitive performance dips. Heat stress affects concentration, reaction time, and decision-making.
• Physical fatigue sets in faster. When your body is tired, mental stamina follows.
  

In short, when our bodies start to overheat we’re more likely to overreact, forget details, or simply feel “off.”

Physical Cool-Down Strategies

The first step in keeping your mind calm is helping your body cool down. Here’s what works best:

1. Hydration with a Twist
   Chug water before thirst gets a chance to set in. The rule is, if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. So, make sure to sip consistently throughout the day. Drinking tepid water is easier to drink quickly than cold and include electrolytes (via sports drinks, coconut water, or electrolyte tabs) to help your body absorb what you drink.
2. Cool Key Points
   Applying something cold to your wrists, neck, or behind your knees can quickly lower body temperature. A reusable cold pack works great. In a pinch, a damp paper towel or chilled water bottle will help.
3. Dress for the Heat
   Opt for lightweight, breathable fabrics like cotton or linen in lighter colors. If you’re moving between outdoor and air-conditioned spaces, bring a light layer you can add or remove to stay comfortable.

Mental Cool-Down Strategies

Once you’ve addressed the physical heat, the next step is lowering your mental “temperature.”

1. The 5-10-10 Rule

We’ve talked about this before and will probably bring it up again in the future, that’s how important this step is in reducing stress in any given moment. Practice this often and share with others.

• Inhale through the nose for a count of 5.
• Exhale for a count of 10.
• Repeat 10 times.
  

2. Mental Shade Breaks
   Even if you can’t physically step outside your environment, take 30 seconds to close your eyes and picture something that makes you feel at ease: a cool forest, a favorite beach, even the sound of rain.
3. The 3–3–3 Grounding Technique
   When stress spikes, name three things you can see, three things you can hear, and move three different parts of your body. It pulls your focus away from the heat of the moment and back to the present.

When You Can’t Escape the Heat

Sometimes the temperature isn’t the only thing running high. Maybe a coworker’s tone has you bristling, or a parent-teacher conversation is turning tense. If you’re already physically uncomfortable, emotional flare-ups can happen faster.

Keep these in your “cool head” toolkit:

• Pause before you respond. Even a 2-second breath can help you shift from reacting to responding.
• Use a positive mantra. Something like, “I can respond instead of react,” or “This moment too shall pass,” can keep you grounded.
• Physically adjust. Step back, change posture, or subtly roll your shoulders to release tension you didn’t realize you were holding.

Your Cool-Minded August Challenge

For the rest of this month, try this each day: 1) Choose one physical and one mental cool-down technique from the lists above; 2) Practice them until they become second nature–because when September arrives and work ramps up, you’ll have tools ready to keep your patience intact and your decisions clear; 3) Share this blog with one other person that seems to be running hot.

Conclusion

We can’t turn down the sun, but we can turn down the internal heat that stress brings. Staying cool inside and out isn’t just about comfort; it’s about protecting your focus, patience, and well-being when it matters most. The more you practice these small strategies now, the more naturally they’ll kick in when the heat, literal or figurative, is on.