‘Ang init ng ulo mo!’: On heat and mental health
A person who is “mainit ang ulo” is someone who acts on impulse. Someone who is acting in an angry way. For most people, a hot head is temporary, which is why we are often advised to wait for it to pass: “Palamigin mo muna ang ulo mo.” On the other hand, a person whose anger is so easy to trigger is “mainitin ang ulo.”
We know that anyone can experience a hot head when they are faced with something frustrating. For example, when a person is annoying us, or not following our requests and orders, we might say, “Umayos-ayos ka—umiinit ang ulo ko sa iyo!” We can get hot headed for so many basic reasons. When we are hungry, we tend to get angry—that is why there is a popular word for it: “hangry.”
And when we lack sleep or even coffee, we might also get hot headed more easily. It also happens when we lack comfort or care—“kulang sa lambing” or “kulang sa aruga.”
We also know that a person who is always mainit ang ulo tends to lack focus in their daily tasks. Their head is so hot that they cannot think properly, and so, they might also make a lot of mistakes. People who are mainitin ang ulo probably also do not have a lot of good friends who stick around, because ordinary people can only tolerate so much.
Dangers of rising temperatures
The concept of mainit ang ulo is a metaphor for human attitudes. But actual heat can also impact our mental health. A higher heat index can also be a trigger for someone to be more mainit ang ulo.
Imagine a very hot day, where the heat makes you thirsty and tired—even at times causing bad headaches. Imagine this, but add the fact that you are trying to chase a deadline at work, or trying to study for an important exam. Those who have experienced this know that it takes extra effort just to stay focused.
It doesn’t help that Philippine summers have always been incredibly hot. We have memes about how, during the summer, the Philippines specifically is much closer to the sun than the rest of the world. But actually, the increasing heat of our tropical summers is part of a larger historical trend. Globally, we have cut too many trees, carved too many mountains, and bulldozed too many fields. Massive factories around the world pump out industrial waste into the air and water, poisoning our shared sources of life.
Due to all these damaging human activities, global temperatures have been rising. Scientists have known this for decades. We know this as “global warming.”
Life on earth exists in a very, very delicate balance. Any small increase in global temperature—even a decimal point—can have devastating consequences. It disrupts ecological systems, which means that many plants and animals die. Damage to ecological systems also means damage to economic systems, which will lead to food and water shortages, as well as other sociopolitical crises.
And an increase in global temperature also means more heat waves and much, much hotter summers.
Hot temperatures and mental health
Aside from the real danger of heat stroke, studies have shown that these heat events are linked to more aggressive and criminal behavior, as well as rising rates of self-harm. Among people who have already been diagnosed with a mental disorder, rising temperatures tend to worsen their symptoms.
What’s more, it is also very difficult to get good quality sleep during hot nights. Biologically, the body has to lower its resting temperature in order to fall asleep. If that cannot happen because of the room heat, a person may experience sleep disruption—like insomnia. This will affect their ability to think, focus, and pay attention during waking hours. They will have difficulty studying, working, or doing other important tasks.
In fact, I am writing this with a splitting headache from the heat. My eyes are also dry due to the unusual noontime brightness. In the past few days, due to the heat, I have been having difficulty focusing, and I have been getting tired a lot. And, if I cannot focus, I am barely productive.
The experience of rising heat during unbearable summers is not just a personal problem. It is tied to large-scale events. If powerful people act with greed rather than charity, then they will not care how many rivers run dry, or how many fish die, or how many trees are cut—as long as they earn billions from it.
And if this trend continues, then very, very soon, humans will no longer be on the face of this earth.
But if world leaders and businesspeople actually start thinking in ways that could keep our world in its very delicate balance, then we might have a chance at survival as a species. In collaboration with experts and everyday people, we can make our home more habitable.
