The unbearable heat of the sun beating down on the melting asphalt. The city seems a bit emptier than usual, perhaps because everyone has gone to a tropical vacation – or they’re just hiding in air-conditioned apartments and offices. You lose a liter of sweat on the way to work and on the way back home. Things seem hopeless as you just can’t leave on your vacation for another month. Or worse, you have already been and the images of the seaside chill have already started disappearing from your brain. Don’t give up just yet – let us go over all the good things the summer brings to the city life!
Wear summer clothes
Hey, even if you have a dress code, a heat wave is nothing to sneeze at! Wear as little or as colorful clothes as you want – at least to the entrance to your offices. And let’s not forget the casual Friday, which is an excellent excuse to show off that chic thing you bought the other day. The important thing is, it’s summer and you can wear it short, feeling the sun on your skin. Just watch out when the sun index is high – make sure to use sunscreen generously on your skin.
Wake up with the sun
Normally the sun has a tendency to wake you up – why not jump the gun and get up early, before the scorching heat kills your every desire to actually go outside? If you’re looking to get some exercise going, really early morning is your friend. Get some weather-appropriate gym wear and hit the treadmill or go for a run or a swim while most people are still in their beds. Not only is it refreshing, but there are no crowds either!
Make a work get-together
You are spending a lot of time together with your colleagues at work. It is summer and you are all in this together – stuck behind desks, in (hopefully) air-conditioned offices. Why not doing something together that will make the day go by faster and recharge your batteries? If your office building has a yard or a rooftop – organize a picnic for lunch instead of a visit to the local cafeteria. Or go together for a lunch in the park.
Find another way to get to work
If you are lucky enough to be living in a city with good public transportation and cycling path and you are still coming to work by car, what are you even doing with your life? Not only is cycling one of the best things you can do for your body and mind, but you can learn new ways to get to where you work or even find shortcuts that are impossible to take in any other form of transportation. And if you have options to commute via trains, buses or subway, you can even use the extra time for reading or catching up with the news, so that you don’t feel the need to do it when you get to the office.
Make good use of your weekends
Working in the long summer days is already tough enough, don’t overdo it. Keep your weekends clutter free – don’t take on work that you don’t absolutely have to. Go out and enjoy the cool, fragrant nights of the summer and meet new people. Or leave the city for two days, run to the nearest body of water and go for a swim to cool off. Do whatever you want, just make it active and happening outside – your brain will thank you once you get back to work on Monday.
By Peter Minkoff
Peter is a lifestyle and travel writer at Men-Ual magazine, living between Ústí nad Labem and Antwerp. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.