Are you complaining about the heat?

‘It’s soooooooo warm, my sneakers have melted onto my feet’, ‘I really won’t be doing any grocery shopping, and definitely not cooking: way too hot’, ‘Hello, where is that tropical schedule’, ’Just when I can finally wear my summer dresses, they’re too warm…‘ and it goes on like this.

It’s never good. It’s too hot, too cold, too wet, too slippery, too dry or too foggy: we never run out of things to complain about regarding the weather. Or rather: to whine about, because the weather is one of the most complained about topics in the Netherlands, according to Bart Flos, author of The Anti-Complaining Book. It’s an easy topic that no one can do anything about. Complaining is good for us, it turns out. It’s a relief. If people have to hold back for a day, it comes out twice as hard the next day. Moreover, complaining has another positive effect: it creates a sense of togetherness. Especially when it comes to complaining about the weather. ‘At work, one person may be more affected by a certain problem than another. But the weather is the common enemy of every Dutch person, of every human being,’ says Bart.

It is expected that there will be plenty of complaining in the coming week. Temperatures will rise to (no joke) 35 degrees. How do we survive it? By continuing to complain about that sweaty mustache, chafing thighs and burnt ears for relief and the sense of togetherness. You’ve never had such a great relationship with the entire workplace.