I’m sitting at my desk, which feels like the hot bonnet of a car. My fingers hover hesitantly over the keyboard – I’m trying to come up with a cool slogan for a campaign. My brain is sluggish, on the verge of shutting down. But I have my experiences to help me stay clear-headed even in moments like these.

My first tip: drinking is important, on average days, and even more so on hot ones. A provocatively delicious glass of lemonade (recipe below) is always within reach next to my keyboard and looks good too. The tingling sensation of the carbonic acid and the freshness of the lemon are my kick-start against too warm thoughts. It’s amazing how a simple lemon can revive the mind so much. Can we live forever?

Another secret is the right timing. In the midday heat, when the roofing felt is close to boiling point, I simply leave the complicated tasks and devote myself to lighter activities. Sorting emails, leafing through folders or redecorating the creative walls – anything that doesn’t immediately require the highest mental performance. Because the adapted process is everything on such summer days. And maybe they will come more often now…

Of course, the little power nap should not be missing. I sneak into the shady green screen studio, far away from the heat, and close my eyes for a pleasant 15 minutes. A short nap like this is like a reset button for my body. I wake up feeling refreshed, as if I had slept for hours, and ready for the rest of the day.

But my absolute favorite trick is to immerse myself in a creative fantasy world. When the heat gets to be too much, I imagine myself lying on a cool beach. The thought of the ocean, the salty wind and the gentle sound of the waves soothes me and makes me forget the heat for a moment. Mental escape is like a short vacation in the middle of the office routine and no one can see it.

No day in an advertising agency is normal, and on extreme days our creativity is put to the test like in a marathon. But with a few cool moves and a little imagination, even hot days can be productive or even inspiring.

And that’s why here’s my recipe for a fresh lemonade with rosemary. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients. Now it can stay warm:

Recipe for ice-cold lemonade

Ingredients:

• 4 large organic lemons
• 100 g sugar
• 1 liter cold water
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)</ li>
• A few slices of fresh lemon for decoration (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Preparation:

1. Prepare the lemons: Wash the lemons thoroughly. Finely grate the zest of two lemons and then squeeze the juice from all four lemons. You should get about 200 ml of lemon juice.
2. Make the lemon syrup: Put the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon stick (or cinnamon powder) and 200 ml of water in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture begins to simmer gently. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rosemary sprigs and let the syrup cool and steep. If you used a cinnamon stick, remove it before using the syrup.
3. Remove rosemary: Remove the rosemary sprigs from the cooled syrup.
4. Mix lemonade: Fill a large carafe or pitcher with the cold water. Add the lemon juice and the cooled syrup. Stir well to distribute the syrup evenly.
5. Chilling: Add plenty of ice cubes to make the lemonade really cold. You can also put the carafe in the fridge for a while before serving.
6. Serving: Pour the lemonade into glasses that have already been filled with a few ice cubes. Decorate the glasses as you like with fresh lemon slices, mint leaves and small sprigs of fresh rosemary for added flavor.
7. Enjoy: Your ice-cold lemonade with a hint of cinnamon and rosemary is now ready to enjoy! Perfect for hot days in the office and a refreshing, aromatic treat.

Tips:

• For a special touch, you can also add a few dashes of orange or lime juice
• If you prefer it less sweet, you can reduce the amount of sugar or sweeten it with honey.

Enjoy the cool refreshment and a beautiful summer! 🌞🍋🧊