As temperatures soar, Malaysians face a hidden toll on mental wellbeing, with heat proven to increase irritability and reduce emotional control.
MALAYSIA is getting hotter, and this is no longer a matter of perception. According to national climate records and meteorological data, Malaysia’s average temperature has increased steadily over the past decades, with recent years ranking among the warmest on record.
In 2024 and 2025, multiple states experienced prolonged hot spells, with daytime temperatures frequently reaching 33 to 35 degrees Celsius.
Heat warnings, school closures during peak heat and rising cases of heat-related fatigue have become more common, particularly in urban areas. These are not isolated events. They are part of a clear warming trend.
What we talk about less is how this heat is affecting the mind. Lately, many people seem more irritable. Conversations escalate faster. Patience feels thinner in traffic, in offices, in public spaces and at home. Small inconveniences trigger strong reactions. We often blame stress, workload or personality. While these play a role, they do not explain why this sense of tension feels so widespread.
Heat is not just a physical condition. It is a neurological one. When the body struggles to regulate temperature, it diverts energy towards basic survival processes. This leaves fewer resources for emotional regulation, impulse control and reflective thinking.
Research in environmental psychology consistently shows that higher ambient temperatures are associated with increased irritability, reduced concentration, faster emotional reactions and poorer decision making.
In simple terms, a hot brain reacts more and reflects less. In Malaysia’s humid climate, the body rarely experiences full recovery. Nights are warmer, sleep is often disrupted and rest feels incomplete.
Even when we move through air-conditioned environments such as offices, cars and shopping centres, the constant shift between artificial cooling and outdoor heat keeps the nervous system in a state of adjustment. Over time, this creates a background level of physiological stress that quietly spills into our interactions.
What makes this more difficult is that daily expectations have not adjusted to this reality.
Work deadlines remain tight. Productivity demands stay the same. Emotional labour is still expected in classrooms, hospitals, service counters and workplaces, even when people are physically and mentally depleted.
Many cope by pushing through, telling themselves this is normal and that Malaysians are used to heat.
Adaptation is real. But there is a difference between resilience and slow erosion. When irritability becomes the default emotional tone of daily life, it affects how conflicts are handled, how empathy is expressed and how decisions are made.
A society under constant thermal strain tends to react quickly and pause less. Over time, this shapes relationships, workplaces and even public discourse.
So what can people actually do? First, reframe irritation before personalising it. When you notice yourself snapping or losing patience, pause and ask whether your body is overheated, dehydrated, underslept or overstimulated. This simple check interrupts unnecessary self-blame and reduces conflict escalation.
Second, slow reactions, not productivity. Heat reduces emotional bandwidth, not intelligence.
This means giving yourself a few seconds before responding to emails, messages or conversations during hot periods. A delayed response is often a regulated one.
Third, build deliberate cooling pauses into the day. This does not mean long breaks. It can be as simple as stepping into shade, drinking water mindfully, reducing screen exposure briefly or sitting quietly without stimulation. These moments allow the nervous system to reset.
Fourth, lower emotional expectations on extreme heat days. Not every day is meant for high tolerance, deep discussions or intense decision-making. Recognising this is not weakness. It is environmental awareness.
Fifth, extend compassion outwards. If everyone is operating under the same conditions, impatience is not always a character flaw. Responding with calm rather than confrontation helps stabilise the emotional climate around you.
The goal is not perfect emotional control. The goal is awareness, adjustment and gentler expectations in a warming environment.
Climate change is not only about rising temperatures, floods or infrastructure. It is also about how persistent environmental stress quietly reshapes human behaviour. These mental effects are less visible, but they influence daily life in powerful ways.
As Malaysia continues to warm, adapting how we care for the mind is just as important as adapting how we design our cities and systems.
Hotter days may be here to stay. Shorter tempers do not have to be.
Dr Praveena Rajendra is the author of Mindprint: Engineering Inner Power for Growth, Purpose and Regeneration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
The Sun Malaysia
