SINGAPORE: With Singapore’s heat and humidity, it’s not unusual to feel drained—but could the weather actually be affecting how tired people feel day to day?

One Redditor recently raised the question, wondering if Singapore’s humidity might be quietly impacting people’s productivity, especially during their commute to and from work. The post also suggested that this could be why people here seem more tired compared to those in other countries.

Many netizens expressed their thoughts and opinions on the subject.

One comment agreed that the weather affects people’s moods. The netizen declared: “Heat plus humidity, the air when you breathe in is different from the cool air from autumn/winter countries. I feel very refreshed when I inhale the air from those countries. Over here, the air is thick and heavy. Sometimes, it’s so stuffy and humid and hot I feel like I’m gonna faint.”

Another pointed out that feeling hot slows people down, makes people irritable, and causes drowsiness that may have an impact on how they do their work.

But not everyone thinks humidity is the main issue.

For some, the work culture in Singapore is a stronger reason because everything feels so urgent, and even though the humidity might be draining, the effects of it on a person really depend on how exposed they are daily.

Others also noted that colder countries aren’t necessarily better.

“I think you haven’t felt the cold and humid weather of countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Especially between the seasons when you can’t sleep at night because the temperature change is wild. Also, have you tried going to work in temperatures below 10 when the wind outside is trying to dry your eyeballs? I think it’s just a way of releasing stress. Singapore has very few ways to relax or places to go out to,” a netizen admitted.

The summer seasons in other countries can also be worse than Singapore’s weather.

A netizen stated: “In Tokyo, summer temperatures can be over 36 deg C before 11 a.m. and the humid heat persists throughout nighttime. Of course, the heat takes a toll on you if you walk under such weather in SG, but that doesn’t mean other countries are much better than SG in certain seasons.”

Indeed, the heat in Singapore may be one of the reasons why Singaporeans are tired, but so is the work culture. It is important to note that what the country is experiencing is not worse than other countries with different weather. Still, people in Singapore must push through and call for work-life balance.

This article (Is Singapore’s humidity draining people? Netizens share their take) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.