Anxious about going to work in Friday's heat

[Infinity07]

I work in a public sector job, it's very demanding, fairly physical and carries the responsibility of others.
I have a long term anxiety and a panic disorder (under treatment) which work are aware of but it's not really an issue there. However, I do have certain triggers and one thing is when the weather is extra hot like it's predicted to be on Friday (33°c here in the SE). The heat really makes me panic as I get anxious about how it physically makes me feel. I have health anxiety. The older I've got, the worse I seem to experience this.

So I'm debating with my conscience whether to take Friday off work or maybe part of the day off. Work will not accept my anxiety reason regarding the weather, I just know what they're like. So I'd have to say something else.

It's only Tuesday and I'm already getting so stressed about this. Don't know what to do.

Can you have an electric fan in your classroom - pointed in your direction or are there health and safety regs preventing that?

In Australia so I absolutely do NOT consider this hot at all but if it’s not a temperature you are used to then to keep cool:

• stay out of the sun, and if you must stand in it for a while then wear a hat


• drink lots of cold water from the fridge not the tap, small amounts fairly constantly is better than infrequent large gulps


• wear light layers preferably natural fibres and not synthetic


• have a cold shower before you go out to lower your body temp


• use a fan


• if you are not then put a cold compress over your wrists and around your neck for a while.

I have nothing useful to add having read some of the brilliant tips on here OP, but I just wanted to say that you have my absolute sympathy. It would appear that some people are simply unable to understand the implications of mental health issues and think it’s just a matter of pulling yourself together or being strong. One comment even says how fortunate you are to be to able to sit at your desk all day, which is a hilarious idea as most teachers rarely have the opportunity to sit down at all. You sound like a really lovely person who wants to do the right thing, so I hope you can find help amongst the kind and supportive comments here.

@LuckySantangelo35

that poster will do yes because everyone suffers from anxiety - it’s part of life and part of being human.

So there’s no distinction between normal anxiety & an anxiety disorder then?

So everyone has panic disorder is that what you’re saying?

Do you actually know what panic disorder is?

I'm on site that day so I'll be wearing a hard hat and heavy safety gear. Plus air con is broken in my work truck. Sitting in an office in front of a fan would be a luxury.

And am sure it will be much worse if you also suffer from panic disorder like the OP does.

I feel for you as it's awful working in the heat and classrooms are stuffy.

I work as a carer and the homes keep the bloody heating on and won't let us wear a plain cotton t shirt for example instead of our hot polyester uniforms. It gives me awful headaches with the heating cranked up and some residents don't like the windows open.

I freeze loads of water bottles to take with me as some homes won't let us keep drinks in the fridge even though there's plenty of space (usually the manager keeps theirs in there though). I also take the cold sprays in from Amazon.

Taking days off wouldn't be an option for me as (even if I could afford it) residents still need care just like your students still need to be taught.

Yep. And LuckySantangelo35 is one of the biggest ones.

I cope by going out in a soaking wet T shirt thats been soaked in icy water.............oh and no bra.

@JuneJubilee
I take exception to your blanket statement about everyone suffering from anxiety.
I certainly don't and never have had MH issues as many people seem to have nowadays. If I can't remedy a situation I can walk away or go with the flow depending on the circumstances. There is no point in getting flustered and letting situations affect me.
That said, I too dislike hot weather and when I was working it was the humidity which, if over 65/70, made me feel I was going to faint. Altering my diet on those days so I had foods with more salt and keeping out of the midday sun worked for me and still does.
Getting anxious about being anxious is a self-fulfilling prophesy and won't help at all.
Try to stop looking inward and dwelling on your feelings. There'll be many more hot days and we should be glad that we have the weather we have in the UK. A bit of everything.

@DrunkAndAlone72 why is thst selfish to suggest those things? Ice lollies for her, not the kids.

How effectively do you think children will be learning in the heat? Adapting to the circumstances doesn't mean they won't learn anything from the lesson. I work with children and we do it all the time. Cracking on and suffering in silence to stick to the plan - I've made the mistake if doing that before and learnt it doesn't work well for anyone - particularly children.

We live in a country where this heat only occurs maybe once a year - our houses and offices aren't built for it. I've also worked in Africa in that heat and it wasn't the same as a stuffy UK summer day. They adapt to the climate with work patterns, buildings etc.

Sounds really rough, OP.

I haven’t read all the replies but I’m worried that if your day off was denied that would make things even worse for you.

Have you read about icing your vagus nerve?! I know that sounds daft but it does actually do wonders for anxiety. You just have to hold something very cold against your chest. I can imagine that the opposite (being very hot) has the opposite effect and am not surprised you are anxious about it.

My neck fan is winging its way from amazon this very moment. Thanks, @worraliberty

Otherwise they’ll end up making a scene when they’re adults like the OP.

There’s nothing in this thread that suggests the op is ‘making a scene’ or would. Ime anxiety is very often made worse by feeling you have to hide it - the precise opposite of making a scene. It’s almost as though some posters are competing to make the most belittling comment.

Sheesh, I love the smell of hyperbole in the morning.

I'm imagining Amazon wondering why there has been a sudden run on neck fans 😄

OP only you know if you'll be fit to work in those conditions but there are loads of really helpful posts here

You're welcome. Once you learn to tune out the noise, you'll stop shouting at people 😂😂

Thanks for that. Ordered

I would take annual leave as one-off, but you really have to come up with solution to this problem... Fan, lots of water, maybe some cooling mist, linen clothing?

As has repeatedly been said, therebis no AL. OP is a teacher.

why don't people at least read OPs posts.

@LuckySantangelo35

What a weird irrelevant response.

suffering from anxiety is very different to get the occasional anxious feeling about something.

The poster you're weirdly rushing to excuse has been horrible to the OP who suffers from anxiety.

how about you take your beak and insert it somewhere else.

Just take the day off on sick leave. It’s not a lie since you are going to struggle mentally otherwise. Ignore people saying you can’t, I wouldn’t bother seeking the opinion of those who don’t have empathy for others (a lot of those in the world). The kids will survive without you for a day. And you really don’t need to waste any energy on justifying this to anyone.

talk you to your union and get them on board with your health issues so you have extra support if your management are dicks.

sending hugs xxx ps treat yourself to a new fan and don’t waste a second feeling guilty. I agree that you might need to find a better therapist though? Or maybe change careers so you can always wfh? A big one but definitely not impossible. Will save the stress of these occurrences in future.

You’ve never met my mother in law then who followed her husband to Brisbane, Singapore and other Asian cities.

She (and my husband) are hardwired to really, really struggle in the heat and she gets quite distressed. Its a genuine physiological/hormonal response. It’s not a coincidence she insisted on retiring to a cool area outside of Sydney.

I grew up in the sub tropics so no stranger to very hot, humid weather and England in a heatwave is far less tolerable.