The Arrival of Summer Brings "Women's Winter" for Office Workers Everywhere

If you've ever worked in an office, then you're probably well-versed in the work cardigan. You see them slung over chairs, thrown over shoulders, and worn with the desperation that comes with never quite feeling warm. Is it a curse?

Women the world over dread the arrival of summer, and it's not just because chub rub and boob sweat are their mortal enemies. When the outside temperatures rise, the inside temperatures drop. One TikToker has documented this phenomenon in what they are calling "Women's Winter," and it's coming.

Heather Abraham, co-host of Pittsburgh Today Live, took to TikTok in an effort to bring awareness to Women's Winter. Set to the tune of Sarah McLachlan's Arms of an Angel, a song usually reserved for heartbreaking commercials about animal cruelty, we were invited to witness a new kind of pain. Women in offices are freezing their big brains off, and something has to give.

"Maggie actually has two blankets," says Heather. She is also wearing her office cardigan. Will nothing stop this madness? Heather approaches a woman named Darlene who, upon hearing her name, swivels around, covered by a large blue blanket. Darlene is clearly distressed as Heather asks, "Are you cold?" Yes, Darlene is cold. "Look at how blue my fingers are," she says. They are as blue as the blanket she is using to protect herself.

Heather reveals that "everyone is suffering here," as she asks yet another female employee how cold she is. "I've been typing all morning, and I can barely feel my fingertips," she replies. Surely capitalism will intercede once people realize that workers will need their fingertips to type and thus keep the machine going. She doesn't even remove her blanket while walking to the restroom.

We take small comfort in the understanding that this issue can affect any person. "While it's called Women's Winter," says Heather, "no one is truly excluded." A gentleman is seen clutching a red blanket around his body, as if the heat of that color could possibly penetrate his frigid soul. "It's so cold," he whispers.

According to Pfizer, cold perception is partially hinged on body composition. "Compared to men, women have less muscle, which is a natural heat producer," said the article. "They also have 6 to 11 percent more body fat than men, which keeps the inner organs toasty, but blocks the flow of blood carrying heat to the skin and extremities." When will our organs release us from this freezing prison?

Beyond this, there is also a condition called Reynaud’s disease which affects women five times more than it does men. If you have this, the "blood vessels that supply blood to the extremities spasm and excessively constrict in response to cold or stress." Have your fingers and toes been turning white then blue? You might have Reynaud’s disease. If we can't get the office temperature to rise, then we're gonna need companies to invest in individual space heaters. And, more cardigans.