If you’ve found yourself thinking this summer feels hotter than normal, you’re right. It’s not just the occasional heat dome trapping most of the nation in 90-degree heat; the summers have been steadily getting hotter on average because of climate change.

That extreme heat is extremely dangerous to vulnerable populations like children, pregnant people, older adults, those with chronic illnesses, and people who work outside. Spending even a short amount of time out in the sun on a sweltering day increases your chances of developing a heat-related illness, like heat cramps or heat stroke. Soaring temps can affect your mental health, too, contributing to increased irritability and exacerbated mental health conditions. There’s a name for it: summertime seasonal affective disorder. It has been shown to make people agitated, less productive, and prone to isolation.

To protect yourself from extreme heat, experts advise staying inside in air conditioning. But after a long winter of daydreaming about the joys of the season — days at the public pool, backyard barbecues, cocktails under the stars — the last thing you may want to do is remain cooped up. Summers are now beset by trade-offs; hunkering down in the AC to stay safe means forgoing the fruits of long, warm days.

“My clients will talk a lot about when the sun is out, they feel this sense of guilt,” says Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “Like they have to go outside and enjoy it because it........

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