Lessons in Staying Cool: What an A/C Mechanic Taught Me About Life

  Lessons in Staying Cool: What an A/C Mechanic Taught Me About Life

I was thinking back to a recent conversation I had with an experienced A/C mechanic, and it reminded me so much of life and the things we often take for granted. It’s funny how wisdom can come from the most unexpected places.

Here in Chennai, we have this rhythm to the year. From November to mid-February, the ceiling fan is enough. But as March approaches, the first thing we do when we walk through the door is reach for the A/C remote. It’s a switch from comfort to necessity.

The mechanic shared some vital tips that day—about machines, but also, I realised later, about us.

His first piece of advice was proactive: Even when you don’t need the A/C, switch it on for a few minutes each day. This keeps the parts moving, prevents corrosion, and ensures the system doesn’t seize due to inactivity. If you leave it unused for months and then crank it on a suddenly warm night, it’s not just inefficient—it can be harmful. Dust settles deep inside, clinging to the blower. When you finally turn it on, that dust circulates into the room, irritating lungs and triggering allergies. The lesson? Clean it before you need it.

He also spoke of timing. Most people only notice the cooling is weak in late February or March. That’s when his phone rings off the hook. Everyone calls at once, mechanics are overwhelmed, and people are left waiting in the heat. But if you run the A/C regularly in the off-season, you notice small issues early. You service calmly, avoid the rush, and enter the hot months prepared.

It struck me that we aren’t so different from these machines.

There are seasons in our lives and careers that are cool and calm—when the fan is enough. But we know challenging phases are coming: deadlines that demand long hours, back-to-back meetings, negotiations, travel, and stretches where we must go the extra mile.

How do we prepare? Like the A/C.

We can’t go from stillness straight into high performance without “maintenance.” Before the heat of a big project hits, we need to “switch ourselves on”—gently. Check in on our physical and mental well-being. Nourish our bodies with the right fuel. Create space to plan and practice. It’s about preparing the system before it’s under stress, not scrambling when the pressure is already on.

Just as regularly cleaning the A/C filter ensures clean, cool air, we must clear our own clutter—mental, emotional, and logistical—to avoid blockages to our energy and focus. Sometimes, that means asking for help from an expert before a situation becomes a crisis.

If we follow this rhythm—staying in motion even in calm seasons, preparing in advance, and maintaining our inner systems—we can face the heat with grace. We can be cool under pressure, and in doing so, we keep the atmosphere around us calm and clear, too.

It’s not just about surviving the summer. It’s about thriving through all the seasons—with a little foresight, regular care, and the wisdom to start before we think we need to.

 

M.L. Narendra Kumar