Heat in the home office: How to remedy it

The most important things in brief

• Corona has turned the world of work upside down: Home office is still permitted or even desired for many, and for many of them permanently.
• Not least in the heat of summer, this has many advantages that should not be underestimated.
• Because there are no rules of conduct at home - you can make yourself much more comfortable here than in the office.
• Or would you take off your shoes and socks in the midst of your colleagues? Here are a few tips on how to make summer work easier.

Most people like summer. At least when you are on vacation or have the option to go to the outdoor pool or the bathing lake at the weekend. Summer and working from home: That's a contradiction in terms - but that doesn't have to be the case if you stick to a few simple and just as pleasant principles.

Get out of your slippers

One of the biggest differences between the office and the home office is that there is no dress code. And that means that you don't have to wear a piece of fabric when you work at home if you don't want to. Even if you don't like it and prefer to wear a minimum of clothing, you have an invaluable advantage over the office: you can take off your shoes and socks.

Without footwear, you can cool down by putting a tub full of cold water under your desk and cooling your feet in it. Does good, keeps the circulation going and contributes to productivity.

Change the rhythm

Speaking of productivity: does it really have to be in the summer? Well, mostly bosses, customers and deadlines don't care about the temperatures. And they usually only get really oppressive in the afternoon. At this point, you can finish your work if you want.

Just start really early, ventilate the workplace properly with the cool morning air and enjoy the - ideally - free afternoon. Once the day's work is done, not even the strictest boss can complain. After work you should reward yourself with something nice.

break yes, heavy food no

If you are not one of the lucky people who only have an appetite for light food anyway when it is very hot, you should measure yourself during the lunch break. The lasagne from the Italian across the street is also not a good idea in the home office. Currywurst with fries probably not either.

Fruit, vegetables and salad should be enough to satisfy midday hunger. If you drink a lot of fluids, which is recommended when the temperature is high, this should also curb your appetite a little. So you kill two birds with one stone.

Escape when it gets too hot

Although hardly any problem is unsolvable - home office in the attic is really a challenge. Once the apartment has heated up, nothing helps. But what to do when the temperatures in the office are tropical?

Then look for public libraries that have workstations with electrical outlets. Libraries are almost always air-conditioned, and if you don't have to use the phone while you work, the lending library is a perfectly comfortable place to be, at least for a day or more. Unfortunately, the trick with bare feet and a tub full of cold water doesn't work there.