5 Tips to beat the Heat Indoors

As the leaves change colour and temperatures drop, many people look forward to cozy nights by the fire, warm cups of coco or mulled wine… And cranking up the heater.

But for those suffering from chronic blushing, winter can mean hot, stuffy rooms, red cheeks and ‘jumper regret’ (when you come inside from the cold and quickly get hot, sweaty and red 😖).

If you’re worried about the up-coming winter season, here are 5 tips to cope with the challenges radiators pose for chronic blushers. 

Side Note: These tips are just tips: they’re not going to cure your blushing, but every time you take control and listen to your needs – not through avoidance behaviour, but through gentle, loving kindness – you give yourself the power of self-agency which is one of the critical tools in your journey from blush to bloom: 

• Tip #1: Control Your Environment: Admittedly, you can’t control the weather or how hot other people like to crank up the heat, but you do have a circle of influence. You can take care of your needs by choosing where you sit or stand for example: choose to place yourself by the door or window so you get a current of air, touch the cold tiles or walls and borrow their cool, carry your own fan or water spray, and select restaurants that are airy, not stuffy.  
• Tip #2: Control Your Clothing & Food Choices: avoid hot drinks, spicy foods and alcohol (they’re all linked with blood-vessel dilation, which makes your cheeks flush from increased blood flow). Keep wrists and ankles un-covered so they have contact with the air (they have lots of pulse-points where blood vessels are close to the skin to cool you down). Stick to loose-fitting layers of breathable material like cotton, that won’t trap your body heat. Avoid sweaters (so you don’t get “jumper regret”) and opt for zipped or buttoned tops instead, for easy opening to cool down.
• Tip #3: Control your Stress: Practice the art of abdominal breathing (counter-balances the fight/flight response) and remember that this tool will help once you’ve mastered it – so practice daily and don’t wait until you’re mid-blush in a crowded room to start practicing! That would be like taking a driving test without having any lessons first. Control the focus of your attention and avoid tunnel vision by noticing things in the periphery of your vision field. Breath through your nose and think about your nostrils – now, with the help of your imagination, see your nostrils in your heart and imagine yourself breathing through your heart nostrils: notice the difference. (By the way, that last tip comes from Dr Kelly McGonical’s book “The Upside of Stress” – a great read!). Take up regular exercise (research shows a regular habit of exercise reduces anxiety)
• Tip #4: Voice Your Needs: the shame associated with chronic blushing means people shy away from saying what they need – so practice doing this in safe environments. For example you might say: “I’m getting a bit over-heated – I’m just stepping outside for a minute to cool down” or “My body over-heats here next to the radiator – would it be Okay if we swapped places?”. By taking this self-agency, you’re looking after your needs and this empowers you to take control. It’s okay to voice your needs: it’s an act of self-care and it’s a key step on your journey from blush to bloom.
• Tip #5: Control Your Mindset: Your body is telling you that it feels uncomfortable – it’s okay to listen to it and take care of its needs for comfort. Not by avoiding situations, but through self-agency to give it what it needs in that situation by using some of the tips above and telling yourself that everything is okay. You are okay.

I hope these practical tips will help you stay cozy and confident and empower you to navigate winter’s warmth with self-agency and a commitment to take care of your needs by taking control over the things you can control xxx

If you have any questions about blushing that you’d like answered, please write them in the chat and I’ll do my best to answer in future blog posts – and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find someone who does 🙂