Heat, pollution & your mind

Heat makes the body work hard to cool down. Irritability is even one of the listed signs of heat exhaustion. Heat-related sleep problems can also make mental health symptoms worse.

The American Psychiatric Association notes that research links high temperatures with problems with memory, attention and reaction time.

The EPA explains that smoke from distant fires can stay in the air for days or even weeks. It can limit time outside, keep people apart from others and upset routines.

Hot spells can do the same: plans move indoors, cooling bills climb, and homes without cooling can feel crowded and tense.

When a community’s water, soil or air may be unsafe, the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) says people may worry about their health, their families, their homes, and where to find reliable information. Waiting for answers is hard, especially when people don’t know whom to trust.

The EPA notes that smoke can trigger negative memories of other fires. SAMHSA adds that smells or sounds linked to a past disaster can set off distress on any day of the year.

A global study of over 7 million nights of sleep from wristband trackers in 68 countries found that warmer temperatures shorten sleep, mostly by delaying when people fall asleep. Older adults, women, and people in lower-income countries lost the most sleep.

Less sleep makes it harder to manage emotions, focus and cope with stress. That’s one reason a heat wave can leave you feeling cranky, foggy or low.

Cooler-sleep ideas

• Close blinds during the day to keep heat out
• Sleep in the coolest room, or the lowest floor
• Take a cool shower before bed
• Use light cotton sheets and clothing

The CDC advises using fans only when indoor temperatures are below 90°F, because above that a fan can raise body temperature. If it’s hotter, find air conditioning or a cooling center.

Heat stresses the body, and irritability is one of the listed signs of heat exhaustion. The American Psychiatric Association notes that heat is also linked with more aggression and conflict at home.

Try

• Drink water through the day
• Move outdoor plans to cooler mornings or evenings
• Name it: “I think the heat is getting to me”
• Pause and cool down before hard conversations

Research links high temperatures with problems with memory, attention and reaction time. That can make work, school and driving feel harder on very hot days.

Go easy on yourself

• Break tasks into smaller steps
• Do focused work in the coolest part of the day
• Take short breaks somewhere cool
• Write things down so you don’t have to hold them in your head

The American Psychiatric Association says people with existing mental health conditions are especially vulnerable to heat. People with dementia face a higher risk of hospital stays and death during heat waves. The CDC also lists people with mental health conditions among those at higher risk.

Ask your clinical provider to help you make a heat plan before summer, and ask whether anything in your current care plan affects how your body handles heat.

Heat exhaustion

• Headache, dizziness, nausea, weakness
• Heavy sweating
• Irritability and thirst
• Move out of the heat, sip cool water, loosen clothes, cool the skin, and get medical care

Heat stroke (an emergency)

• Confusion, slurred speech, or passing out
• Hot, dry skin or heavy sweating
• Seizures or very high body temperature
• Call 911, move to a cool place, and cool the person quickly with cold water or wet cloths

Ideas

• Close blinds or curtains on sunny windows
• Drink water through the day, before you feel thirsty
• Spend the hottest hours in an air-conditioned place
• Take cool showers or use damp cloths
• Use fans only when it’s below 90°F indoors

If your home has no air conditioning, dial 2-1-1 or contact your local health department to find a cooling center. Libraries and malls can also be cooler places to spend the day.

People who work outdoors or in hot indoor spaces, like farmworkers, builders, delivery drivers, warehouse and kitchen workers, are at higher risk from heat. Pressure to keep working, fear of losing pay, and exhaustion can add to stress.

Protecting yourself and coworkers

• Drink water often, even before you feel thirsty
• New or returning workers need time to get used to heat
• Take breaks in shade or cool areas
• Use a buddy system and watch each other for warning signs

The CDC reminds people to check on pets during heat, too. Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day.

The EPA says children pick up on how adults are reacting during smoke events, so managing your own stress first helps them feel safe. Keep normal routines going, answer questions simply and honestly, and limit scary news coverage.

In children, stress can look like clinginess, new fears, acting younger than their age, irritability or not cooperating.

Adults over 65 are on the CDC’s list of people at higher risk from heat. Older adults also lost the most sleep on warm nights in a global sleep study.

People with dementia face higher risk of hospital stays and death during heat waves, so daily check-ins matter.

The CDC lists people without housing, without good housing, or without access to cooling among those at higher risk. Money worries about cooling bills can add stress, too.

Dialing 2-1-1 can connect people with local cooling centers and other help.

The EPA lists signs like

• Headaches, stomach upset or rashes
• Leaning more on alcohol or other substances
• Losing your appetite or feeling low on energy
• Nightmares or trouble sleeping
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Worry, frustration, anger or sadness

If these get in the way of your daily life for several days, the EPA suggests contacting your health care professional.

AQI colors

• Green (0–50): good
• Yellow (51–100): moderate
• Orange (101–150): unhealthy for sensitive groups
• Red (151–200): unhealthy
• Purple (201–300): very unhealthy
• Maroon (301+): hazardous

AirNow.gov, from the EPA, shows current and forecast air quality by location and has a Fire and Smoke Map. The EPA suggests checking the AQI daily on smoky days, because air quality can change quickly.

EPA ideas

• Create a “clean room” with the cleanest air in your home
• Exercise indoors if your indoor air is cleaner than outside
• Go outside when you don’t see or smell smoke
• Keep indoor air as clean as possible
• Plan ahead for other places you spend time

A clean room is especially helpful if children, older adults, pregnant people or people with heart or lung disease live with you.

The EPA suggests

• Ask for help from a counselor, health professional or someone you trust
• Eat well, drink water, sleep, and exercise where it’s safe
• Make time for things you enjoy and that relax you
• Share feelings with friends and family, and spend time in cleaner-air places like libraries or malls

The EPA suggests

• Answer questions honestly, in simple words
• Keep children in normal routines as much as possible
• Model calm, because children take their cues from you
• Plan outdoor play for times when the air is cleaner
• Reassure them that you have a plan to keep them safe
• Talk with them about what they see on the news and social media

About five years after a city’s water supply became contaminated in Michigan, researchers surveyed 1,970 adults there. About 1 in 5 (22.1%) showed signs of depression in the past year, and nearly 1 in 4 (24.4%) showed signs of post-traumatic stress, much higher than national estimates.

People who believed their family’s health had been harmed, who had past trauma, or who had few people to rely on were more likely to struggle. Most residents had never been offered mental health support.

Nine months after a 2023 train derailment and chemical release in Ohio, a survey of 1,000 adults living within 65 miles found that about 15% showed signs of post-traumatic stress and about 13% showed signs of depression.

Worry about exposure and health was linked to about twice the odds of struggling. Low trust in official information also played a role, while distance from the site did not. The researchers called for clear, honest information and more mental health support after such events.

ATSDR notes that people may disagree about how to respond to contamination, even within the same family. One person may want to move while another wants to stay.

Ways to talk it through

• Agree on one or two trusted sources to check together
• Focus on shared goals, like keeping the kids safe
• Listen first, and say what you heard
• Take a break if the talk gets heated

ATSDR suggests learning more from your state or local health department, local universities or community groups, and protecting yourself and neighbours from harmful chemicals, for example by using a water filter or not eating vegetables grown in unsafe soil.

ATSDR lists signs like

• Constant worry or feeling on edge
• Drinking or using substances more to cope
• Irritability over everyday problems
• Tiredness, headaches, muscle aches or stomach problems
• Trouble sleeping, or changes in energy
• Trouble thinking clearly or remembering (“brain fog”)

Ways to cope

• Focus on actions within your control, like water filters or checking daily air quality
• Get information from a few trusted sources, like your local health department
• Set limits on how often you search for news or symptoms
• Write down questions and bring them to your clinical provider

A slow breath

1. Breathe in gently through your nose.
2. Breathe out slowly, a little longer than you breathed in.
3. Repeat five times.
4. Notice three things you can see around you.

Try this

1. Pick 15 minutes at the same time each day.
2. When worry shows up at other times, jot it down for later.
3. At worry time, read your list and ask: “Is there one thing I can do?”
4. Do that one thing, or let it go until tomorrow.

The CDC encourages checking on family, friends and neighbors during heat, especially people who live alone or have chronic conditions.

When you check in

• Ask: “Is it cool where you are? Do you have water?”
• Check again the next day: heat waves last
• Notice if they seem confused, very tired or unusually upset
• Offer a ride to a cooling center, library or mall

ATSDR suggests joining or forming a community group, in person or online, to share updates, learn safety steps and advocate together.

How community helps

• Community meetings to share information and questions
• Faith and cultural groups offering support
• Local groups that test air or water and push for fixes
• Neighbours sharing rides to appointments or bottled water

Worldwide, the WHO says most deaths from outdoor air pollution happen in low- and middle-income countries. WHO also notes that the mental health effects of climate change are not shared equally.

Feeling unheard can add anger and hopelessness to health worries. Coming together, and being listened to, can help.

ATSDR suggests sharing your feelings with friends and neighbours, who may have the same concerns. The EPA also suggests spending time with others in cleaner-air places like libraries during smoke events.