10 Ways to Stay Cooler in This Hot Summer
1-Drink plenty of cool water. During summer, you sweat more, and you have to replenish the water in your body. So drink a nice cold glass of water, and keep a bottle with you always. A tip to stay more cool is fill up a water bottle and put in the freezer for 30 min to an hour, and freeze another to take outdoors and the “iced-water” will last much longer. Don’t risk dehydration. Also if you want a treat drink some water with lemon squeezed in but don’t eat too much sugar!
2-Turn off unnecessary lights, TV, oven, etc. During the day, keep off the majority of your lights, since they produce energy and heat!
3-Shower or bathe frequently in mildly warm, or cold water to stay refreshed.
4-Sleep with a sheet when you go to bed, and have a fan directed toward you. You can also dampen your sheets in water and the air blowing from the fan will make you feel refreshed, until it all evaporates.
5-If you have an air conditioner, turn it on. Keep the air filter clean to avoid clogging or fungus may grow there. For the best results, close the doors to the rooms that have the air conditioning on. This will trap the cool air in the room, keeping you cooled down.
Make sure the setting on the AC is on “high” to move the air through faster and farther. This is not the “colder-to-warmer” settings. That uses very little additional power, but may make a louder “shushing” air sound.
6-Use a portable fan set at the desired setting to keep you at your own comfort zone, too.
7-Alter your pattern of outdoor exercise to take advantage of cooler times (early morning or late evening). If you can’t change the time of your workout, scale it down by doing fewer minutes, walking instead or running, or decreasing your level of exertion.
8-Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.
9-Fill a spray bottle with water. Keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face after being outdoors.
10-Look for inside activities to do. If you don’t have air-conditioning, arrange to spend at least parts of the day in a shopping mall, public library, movie theater, or other public space that is cool. Many cities have cooling centers that are open to the public on sweltering days.
Use common sense. If the heat is intolerable, stay indoors when you can and avoid activities in direct sunlight or on hot asphalt surfaces. Pay special attention to the elderly, infants, and anyone with a chronic illness, as they may dehydrate easily and be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Don’t forget that pets also need protection from dehydration and heat-related illnesses too.
