It’s the time of the year again where the sun’s rays is so blaring and hot you feel yourself burned up to the core. And with the climate change phenomena affecting the Earth, it seems like every summer is getting hotter and hotter.
Not everyone of us have the luxury of owning an air conditioning unit at home and enjoy the cooled air circulating inside. For the majority of us, we have to be very creative in order to combat the extremely hot weather to avoid heat related illnesses like stroke and dehydration. Well, worry no more as we’ve compiled fool-proof tips to stay cool this summer whether you are outdoors or indoors!
Ways to Stay Cool in the Heat
Wear Light and Loose Clothing
‘Light’ is the key term for this tip. We all know that the color black absorbs more heat than other colors and the same principle applies to the clothes that you wear. Say goodbye temporarily to your dark clothing this summer and just stick to white or light-colored garments. Opt for cotton, linen, or rayon fabrics during summer season as they are light and allow the hot air to circulate, effectively cooling your body in the process. Loose fittings clothes will also make you feel cooler even with the extreme heat.
However, if you are going out for some camping or hiking, ditch the cotton shirts and go for nylon or polyester clothes. While these fabrics feel hotter than cotton, the good thing is that they dry out quickly, so you won’t be soaked in your own sweat for a long period of time throughout your outdoor journey, further reducing the risk of hypothermia.
Stay Hydrated
This is the golden rule everyone should remember and follow. There are lots of scientifically-proven benefits of drinking water on a regular basis. Aside from keeping your body hydrated, it also helps regulate your body temperature. An average person can sweat up to 2-3 gallons per day and may be more during the hot weather so it is important to increase your water intake as you sweat more. You can drink plain water early in the day in switch to electrolyte-containing beverages as your sweat increases throughout the day.
Another way to replenish the lost water in your body is to eat foods with high water content like watermelon, cucumber, lemon, grapes and berries. Eating salty food will also make you ‘thirstier’ and thus increasing your water intake. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want a glass of ice cold water on a hot, scorching day?
Consume Hot Drink and Eat Spicy Foods
Before you raise an eyebrow on this tip, hear me out first! Stating the obvious, consuming a hot beverage will increase your body’s temperature. Consequently, eating spicy foods will induce circulation and increase perspiration but that’s exactly what we are aiming for! Initially, these food and beverages will increase your body’s temperature, but in return, it will make you it will make you produce enough sweat to cool your body off!
As the sweat needs to evaporate quickly, this trick won’t work on days with high humidity. This won’t also be effective if you are wearing lots of clothes which will essentially trap the sweat, rendering the whole process useless.
Ice Cubes with Aloe Vera
Being out in the sun means you need to apply some sunscreen to protect yourself from its damaging rays. And the longer you stay outside, the more frequent you need to reapply sunscreen. However, even with the best effort, you can still have sunburns and rashes. Good thing there’s aloe vera to the rescue!
For centuries, aloe vera has been used to treat skin ailments because of its antiseptic properties. Apply a generous amount to the affected area to cleanse it and at the same time trigger the production of new skin tissues. For a more upgraded cooling effect, mix aloe vera and water before freezing and take it out for use when necessary!
Step Up Your Fan Game
One of our refuge during a hot weather is to sit in front of an electric fan, basking into the artificial air it produces. However, as the summer temperature rises, so is the hot air blowing off the appliance. One trick you can do is to place an basin filled with ice cubes at the back of the fan, essentially producing cooler air.
Do you also know that the placement of the appliance inside of your house contributes greatly to the room’s overall temperature? While sitting in front of the fan is might be an effective way to cool yourself off, it doesn’t really give much impact in cooling the room overall. By placing your fan near windows, it will blow off the hot air from the inside while sucking in cold air to enter inside.
Cool Down Pressure Points
While applying cold water or ice to your body surely does give that cooling effect, knowing the effective areas on where to apply is the real game changer!
The pressure points in your body includes the neck, wrists, elbows, temples, foreheads, ankles, and your feet. By placing a bandana soaked in cold water or simply an ice pack in these pulse points will help you cool your body.
DIY Ice Packs
Got a hot water bottle? Perfect! While these bottles are designed to keep people warm during winter, they can exactly perform the reverse roles during the hot days of summer! Fill that bottle with cold water and place them at your feet (or you can cuddle it or place it wherever you want) for a cold, refreshing night of slumber. If you don’t have a hot water bottle, don’t fret! You can also use your ol’ reliable ice pack or freezer blocks or you can definitely create you own!
Freeze Your Clothes and Sheets
Who said that you can only place water and meat in the freezer? Make some space as your clothes and sheets will be making an entrance! But before you shove everything in your freezer, prioritize which will fit the compartment first and placed them inside plastic bags or any type of container or else it will absorb the smell of whatever food is in there. We don’t want a meat-smelling bed sheet don’t we?
Close Your Windows During the Day
While allowing the natural light to stream inside your home is cost-efficient, the direct sunlight coming from the outside contributes to the hot temperature inside. However, you can still open your windows and just draw the curtains down. This way you are blocking out the biggest heat contributor while essentially trapping the cool air inside.
During nighttime where the temperature drops, it the best time to open your windows (with curtains drawn of course!) to allow the cool air to enter inside.
Use Blackout Curtains
As mentioned above, the light coming from the sun will only contribute more to the heat inside your home. By using blackout curtains, you are reducing the heat coming into your home by up to 24%.
So there you have it! With these tips for staying cool this summer, there’s nothing to hold you down in conquering the summer season! So go out and create the best summer memories while staying ‘cool.’
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