Tips To Stay Energized On Hot Summer Days

Is the summer sun sapping your strength?

Despite sunshine and blue skies tempting you outside, hot summer days can leave you feeling too drained to get going.

On days when you're off work or vacationing, this laziness may fit the bill, inviting you to spend the day lounging by the pool, sipping a refreshing beverage, or perhaps relaxing indoors.

But for those at work or with a long list of chores, the summer energy sap may present a challenge. Reviving energy and breaking through summer fog becomes crucial to maintaining your livelihood.

If the heat drains you, read these Ayurveda tips below.

Why do you feel drained in summer?

You would think that summer heat would be energizing and get your blood moving, but unfortunately it does just the opposite. Muscular and mental activity generate heat. As an adaptive strategy, your body sedates these heat generating organs in steamy weather, making you feel heavy like a lizard on a rock.

On humid days, the balmy air leaves your mind foggy, your skin sticky, and your breath shallow. You feel too hot to even think! The mental vitality and physical energy you normally feel in crisper colder months just evaporates under the summer sun.

If you have a Vata body type, you probably love this time of year, since most of the time you feel dry and cold. But for sluggish Kapha and fiery Pitta, summer heat & humidity can be downright miserable.

If fiery Pitta dominates your constitution, you will feel hot and irritable on the dog days of summer. You may be easily frustrated. If watery Kapha dominates, you will simply feel heavy in your limbs and exhausted. Your skin may be puffy. Instead of frustration, you will feel foggy & lethargic.

When hot, sticky summer afternoons are overheating your blood, sapping your energy, and draining your mind, follow these supportive guidelines. They can help you feel more lively & productive on hot summer days.

Develop a Supportive Routine for Summer

• Start your day early - To manage summer laziness and mental fog, and end the day feeling productive, the trick is to take advantage of cool morning clarity. In the morning, your mind and body feel fresh and light. The golden sun rises earlier in summer, so you should take a cue from the sun. Rise with it and begin your day early to take advantage of the inspirational dawn. Start work before 7am each day, when it's still cool out.
• Do cooling exercises before 8am - Exercise in the summer should be more gentle. Stretch your limbs, go for a walk, or practice gentle yoga or Qi Gong in the early morning hours. Avoid intense, strenuous exercises, especially in the afternoon. A jog in the middle of a hot day may stimulate your energy levels temporarily, but will quickly deplete you. You'll feel more lethargic, foggy, and drained afterwards.
• Take it easy in the evening - Refrain from stimulating social activities late at night on work nights. Turn off the computer and choosing a relaxing movie or book rather than an action packed adventure.
• Relax! - Everyone loves vacations during the summertime, and for good reason! If it's in your budget, summer is a great time to take some time off, enjoy the weather, and be a little lazy. Once the natural energy of fall kicks in, you can get back to work, clear up your mind, and get back to full-fledged productivity mode.

Tips to Sharpen a Lazy Summer Mind

• Gotu Kola - A cup of Brahmi - Gotu Kola tea first thing in the morning will clear your mind, bringing you gently up to speed. Brahmi, also known as gotu kola, is refreshingly cool on a hot day. If your temper gets shorter as the days grow longer, a cup of brahmi tea with fresh mint may be the perfect tonic. This mental rejuvenative was traditionally used to promote the intellect, enhance mental performance and support proper function of the nervous system. It is cool and can clear away the heat that causes you to become frustrated and speak a sharp word.
• Cool off with Rose Water - Take a break at 2 pm when it starts to really cook. Gently splash your face with cool water, refresh yourself with rose water spray, and rehydrate with chilled herbal tea such as Hibiscus Mint Sun Tea. Finish work early so you have enough down time before starting the next day.
• Favor light, cooling foods during the day - Choose foods that are light, cool, and refreshing for lunch. Summer is a great time for fruit smoothies, vibrant salads, light grains like amaranth, and chilled soups like gazpacho. Instead move heavier protein, oil, or carbohydrate rich meals to the mornings. For a complete summer diet, check out these Summer-Friendly Recipes.
• Incorporate diuretic foods - If your skin feels puffy or your ankles swollen on hot days, diuretics will help you feel refreshed and light. Cucumbers, watermelon, and cilantro dry up excess moisture on humid days. Use chilled diuretic herbal teas like chamomile and mint. They can help you feel clear headed instead of heavy and foggy. The famous Ayurvedic formula cumin, coriander, fennel tea is a great choice for Kapha puffiness.

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