Air conditioning in the office - how does it affect the body?
You can hear from many people that air conditioning in the office is no good and the temperature difference between what is happening outside and inside the building is so dramatic that it does not bode well for anything good. In addition, of course, there is a high probability that it is loaded with bacteria and spreads around the room at the speed of light. It can be said that the queues at the doctors' offices during the summer season do not lie - indeed, more people get sick when the air conditioning in the office works almost continuously. However, is it the fault of the cool breeze or of inappropriate use?
How to use air conditioning in the office?
First of all, let's start with the fact that air conditioning in the office can help us - working in rooms where there are usually a few people and equipment that works continuously, and the heat outside can make enduring a long time at work a real ordeal. So how do we think logically and get things done when we can barely breathe? Besides, it is dangerous to health and even life. That is why fans or air conditioning in the office seem simply indispensable. They will cool down and make your work more effective.
However, it cannot be denied that after a long day in an air-conditioned room, we sometimes feel like after a walk in the cold in flip-flops and a swimsuit. We are cold, our nose is dripping, it takes away our voice and we feel at least badly. Then we find out that 16 degrees is probably a bit too little, and the difference should not be that significant.
So how to cool the air so that there are no unpleasant consequences? Let's start with the fans. If we use this type of airflow, it is worth not to point it in one direction, especially directly at someone. It is best if the fan rotates and the airflow is not uniform. Then the temperature difference is gradual and it is more difficult to get, for example, pharyngitis.
In turn, air conditioning in the office is a separate issue. Usually, in each room it is set to a different temperature, additionally definitely too low. And this is the key point that should be followed - do not go overboard with lowering the temperature. Its fluctuations are the greatest enemy of our health. It is usually assumed that it should not differ from that on the outside by more than 5 degrees. However, it is difficult to imagine a setting of 30 degrees, if the temperature outside the window exceeds 35 ... So it is recommended not to overdo it and stop at a minimum of 21 degrees. However, if someone complains that this temperature is too low for him, it is worth raising it a bit. 25 degrees will not make us melt, and when we are cold, working is as unpleasant and ineffective as in heat.
We also mentioned that often each room has a different temperature. This is also a big mistake. Of course, this is difficult to verify, but the best solution is to have a constant temperature throughout the office. Thanks to this, we are not constantly exposed to fluctuations, which - as we have already said - are not the best for us.
In addition, you should make sure that the air conditioning is cleaned - otherwise, instead of a cool air, we will get gifts in the form of bacteria and fungi at most. Of course, employees are not able to do it on their own, but if it seems to us that it is time to clean - it is worth reporting it to the management.
While this is not always possible, you should also not place someone's desk right under the air conditioning. If the cold is blowing directly on someone, it can make you sick. Ideally, it should be positioned so that it will cool the air sideways, not directly downstream.
Air conditioning in the office and the skin
It cannot be denied that the air becomes much drier when we start using air conditioning. Our skin and hair suffers from it. So if we do not have access to an air humidifier, we have to cope in a different way.
It is worth using a highly moisturizing cream, even if it was not usually needed until now. The skin will need him badly. If its condition is really bad, you should also take it with you to work and use it from time to time. Facial mists (which usually do not harm makeup) or thermal water may also be useful to moisturize the skin. It is enough to spray the face gently several times a day. The appropriate face mask will also intensely moisturize - it is enough to use it once a week.
It is also worth including peeling in the care. Exfoliating the epidermis once a week will give an excellent effect and help fight dry skin. We should also not forget about the tonic that we should use after each encounter of our skin with water, at least after each bath or shower.
However, all these treatments will be useless if we do not moisturize the skin from the inside. Let's not forget to drink water! Let's also try to limit coffee, although it is difficult to imagine working without this booster.
Air conditioning in the office is not a necessary evil, on the contrary - it can help us focus and give us a moment of respite. Let us not be afraid of it, but use it wisely!