What the Desert Taught Me About Thriving (Not Just Surviving) in British Heatwaves

The UK is having one of those rare (increasingly less rare?) spells. That heavy heat that presses in on everything and makes the air feel thicker than it should. And every time this happens, my mind tends to run off to the desert and to the times I’ve travelled with people who know how to manage this sort of weather.

I’ve just come back from two weeks on the road, travelling from Paris to Venice via train, and then from Venice to Dubrovnik via the sea. Heat and sweat were a constant theme, and it kind of placed me well to land back to what we’re calling a heatwave, whilst most people I met along the way are just calling it ‘early summer’.

Wadi Rum, Jordan. Up there amongst my favourite places in the world.

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time in dry, hot places. Morocco. Jordan. Arizona. The kind of landscapes that crack underfoot and stretch on without end. I’ve wandered with Berber ultrarunners through wind-sculpted dunes and sat under canvas with Bedouin nomads in Wadi Rum, drinking sugary mint tea and listening to the silence. These are people who have lived with heat for generations. Who understand it intrinsically.

So here are a few things the desert has taught me. No wait, things the people who live in those deserts have taught me. Lessons that might help you stay cool in the British summer. Not survival tricks, just small observations. Quiet, useful things that might make the heat a little easier to live with. Maybe even enjoyable.

Wear more, not less

In the Sahara, the sun hits like a hammer. The instinct is to peel layers off. But the people who live there cover up. Long sleeves. Loose robes. Pale colours. It’s not fashion, it’s function. The fabric traps cooler air close to the skin and shields you from the worst of the sun’s heat.

In the UK, we dress for novelty in heat. We reach for shorts and synthetic vests and wonder why we’re sweating through the day. Try cotton. Try linen. Give your skin room to breathe. Plus, you’ll look like Daniel Craig in Amalfi rather than Danny Dyer in Benidorm. Silver linings…

Abdullah Al Zalabeh. Not wearing shorts and t-shirt.

Slow down in the middle

In the desert, no one does much between midday and late afternoon. The Bedouin know better than to fight the heat. The day’s pace adjusts around it. You walk early. You move again late. In between, you wait. Drink tea. Rest in the shade.

It’s not laziness. It’s rhythm. It’s understanding what your body needs when the world gets too hot to push against. We’d do well to borrow that logic. This heat isn’t a battle to win. It’s a signal to slow down.

I really do take this approach when the weather is like this. A slower early afternoon, a faster evening. The change of pace is novel and really awesome too.

Shade is a resource, and it’s everywhere

The desert doesn’t offer much, but when it gives you shade, you take it. It might be a boulder, a canvas sheet or the narrow shadow of a canyon wall. You learn to scan the land for darker spaces and gravitate toward them. It becomes instinct.

At home, we forget how to use shade. We open every curtain. We bask. We bake. But the smart move is to follow the cool. Close shutters in the morning. Move your workspace to the dark side of the house. Open windows on opposite sides of the house and wedge the doors open so they don’t slam. Encourage airflow. Or better yet, get to the woods sit beneath a tree and let the breeze do the rest.

Abdullah and Rob Durran enjoying a little shade, a little tea, and a little conversation. Notice Rob isn’t in shorts and t-shirt either…

Sweat is not the enemy

Sweat is the body’s best attempt at air conditioning. The trick is to let it do its job. That means airflow. It means clothes that breathe. In dry heat, your sweat evaporates quickly and cools you. In sticky British weather, it’s harder. But fans help. So does light movement.

In the desert, I’ve walked for hours drenched in sweat, but never felt more alive. It’s not about staying dry. It’s about staying aware. Let your body talk to you.

Drink water, but do it properly

Desert guides sip. Often. Slowly. They don’t down two litres at a time. They manage hydration like a conversation. You learn to notice your thirst before it shouts at you. Drinking lots of water at once doesn’t work as well as going slowly. You end up peeing more, flushing the body of salt and electrolytes.

Speaking of which, salt matters too. The more you sweat, the more you lose. A pinch of salt in your water. A slice of fruit. Something to balance things out. Your body knows what to do, but only if you listen. I’m on at least one electrolyte tablet a day right now, in a Nalgene bottle, sipping.

Is it an accident that desert dwellers drink sugary tea extremely regularly? I’m no expert, but I doubt it’s a coincidence.

Change the way you eat

Tagines in Morocco are lighter than you think. Stewed vegetables. Simple grains. Small portions. You fill up slowly. There’s wisdom in that. In heat, heavy food drags you down. I’m eating less at meal times and more between right now. Your appetite will adjust. Let it.

Final Word - Don’t fight it

One last bonus tip: stop whinging about it and just embrace it. Remember in February when you were sick of winter? Me too. Headspace is usually a big part of most problems, but more on that another day. The people who survive best in the heat are the ones who stop resisting it. They move with it. They don’t chase coolness, they find ways to live in the warmth.

This British heatwave is temporary. It’s kind of new (I’ve struggled to avoid climate change in this post, but read between the lines). It’s not built into our buildings or our routines. But for a few days, or weeks, (perhaps months this year) we get to taste a different kind of living. I embrace the romance of it. Listen to different music, cook different food.

If we take our cues from those who live with heat year round, we might find a slower, quieter, more enjoyable way through it.