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The top five tips for staying cool in the office

At the Serviced Office Company HQ in London, the weather has finally started to warm up as it seems summer has finally accepted the seasonal baton from spring. That’s the good news; the bad news however, is many of you will have to tolerate working in stuffy offices, without air conditioning; compounded by the rising temperatures and pollen count.

Sadly, many readers of our blog aren’t fortunate enough to work in offices with air conditioning. So for all you stressed out and sweaty people, we have put together these five handy tips for staying cool at work during the warmer months ahead.

1. Close the blinds

Keeping the blinds in your office closed during the hottest parts of the day will help you stay cool. Using aluminised blinds will help reflect the heat of the sun; however, covering your blinds in tin foil will also help reflect the sun light; keeping you and your colleagues cooler.

2. Wear light clothes

Try to wear light, loose fitting clothes. Turning up to an important meeting wearing a thick, dark, heavy suit dripping in sweat will not help you make a good first impression. Wearing light clothes made from natural fibbers, such as cotton and linen, will keep you cool. Avoid wearing clothes made from nylon as they have the opposite effect. If you have to take trips out of the office, try to take only the bare essentials with you; running around carrying a heavy brief case will not help.

3. Turn off unused equipment

Turning off any unused electrical equipment will lower the temperature in your office. Leaving fax machines, computers and printers turned on when they are not being used will only make the office hotter as they all produce large amounts of excess heat. Turning off unused equipment will also reduce your electricity bills. If it’s possible, you should change any non-energy efficient light bulbs to energy saving bulbs. A traditional light bulb’s energy output is 10% light and 90% heat, whereas energy saving bulbs produce 90% light and only 10% heat.

4. Change your hours

Rearranging your work schedule by starting earlier and finishing earlier will mean you can be out of the office during some of the hotter parts of the day. Of course not everyone is able to do this, but if your employer is flexible it will make you more productive and less stressed.

5. Use fans

If you aren’t lucky enough to have air conditioning, try to make use of other cooling ‘technologies’ such as fans. Electric fans are fairly inexpensive and can be purchased from most electrical retailers. If you feel like being a bit different, why not try a USB powered fan. These little fans can also be used outside the office; on a sweaty commuter train for example; but don’t say we didn’t warn you if you suddenly find half a carriage of stressed out commuters crowding around your fan attempting to get one tiny gust of cool air!

Our serviced offices and meeting rooms are all fitted with air conditioning ensuring everyone working there stays cool and relaxed during the hot summer months.