Heat Anxiety: Do You Feel Really Anxious When You're Hot? Let's Talk About It!

Personally, I've always been very sensitive to heat. Feeling hot used to make me feel a whole lot of feelings... I'd feel dizzy, my heart rate would increase, and my mind would start racing. Sound familiar? For myself and many of my clients, heat can really trigger many feelings and sensations related to anxiety.

But before we get started, I first want to give some backstory on my personal experience with heat anxiety. When I was about six years old, I was camping with my family. It was a fun day, filled with lots of exploring and playing in the water...but I actually did pass out that day. Looking back, I likely was experiencing heat stroke. It was warm outside, I wasn't hydrated, and I'd never been very tolerant of the heat. Obviously, this experience was scary, especially as a little kid! Maybe you've had an experience like mine that has made you extra anxious in the heat. But even if you haven't had a bad experience, it makes a lot of sense that you don't particularly love the feeling of being hot. After all, it's not the most comfortable thing!