Blimey it’s been hot, hasn’t it? With more scorching days predicted throughout the summer, I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips on how to survive the soaring temperatures, day and night…
The sunshine makes me happy and there’s nothing better than sitting in my garden during the lovely weather. However, I’m also no good at being ‘me’ during the summer – I’m a pale girl who needs to wear SPF50 to even step out of the front door and I over-heat SO easily. I’ve had to develop a summer coping strategy over the years so here are my tips for hot days and nights:
TAKE IT EASY
When the weather is so hot, it’s difficult to do anything without overheating and working up a sweat. So, you could try to do as little as possible when the weather is extra-warm. This involves chilling out in your garden – but stay in the shade. And don’t forget the sunscreen – yes, even if you’re sat under a parasol or in the shadow of a tree.
EAT COLD STUFF
Yes, this is your excuse to eat an ice lolly! Or ice pop. Or just ice. If you want a sugar-free, healthy option why not make your own ice lollies or fruity cubes using blended fruit and yoghurt? The idea here is to reduce your internal temperature by eating or drinking something cool. I don’t know if that theory works – but at least it feels nice to eat something chilled AND you get to eat an ice pop, so it can’t be all bad.
STAY HYDRATED
It’s so important to stay hydrated when the weather is this hot. It’s easy to sweat out moisture and become dehydrated even if you’re doing nothing much at all. So have a refreshing glass of water, packed with ice. For a slightly jazzed-up drink add some frozen fruit like in my summer punch recipe – or try soda water with a sprig of mint from the garden and slices or lime or lemon.
KEEP THE HOUSE DARK
This is something I always do in the hot summer weather. Pull the curtains and shut the blinds to keep direct sunlight out of the rooms. This prevents the room from heating up too much, giving you a cool, safe haven to retreat to when it’s just too hot outside.
FAN YOURSELF
Whether you’ve got a motor-powered fan or just a piece of cardboard that you flap in front of your face, creating a breeze will help to cool you down. A new tip that I’ve just heard from The Sleep Geek is to place a bowl of chilled/ice water in front of a fan to reduce the temperature of the air that’s being blown towards you.
SWAP THE SHEETS
For the past few nights we’ve done away with the duvet and have just used a thin cotton bed sheet instead. I’ve got a flat sheet precisely for this purpose, so I know it’ must be summer when I go to the bottom drawer and pull out my cotton sheet.
COLD WATER BOTTLE
If you would use a hot water bottle in the winter, why not use it in the summer too? Just fill it with cool or lukewarm water (your preference) and put it in the bed by your feet. This allows you to regulate your temperature in much the same way as having your leg out from under the duvet – you can choose to put the soles of your feet on the cool-water-bottle for a refreshing moment or two.
MORE QUICK HOT HEATHER TIPS
- Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow.
- Wear a sun hat when your outside – it’s like carrying your own personal parasol
- Wear loose, floaty layers and natural fibres like cotton and linen, which wick moisture away from the body
- Eat cold meals, salads and fruit rather than hot food
- Have a refreshing cool shower (or lukewarm bath at bedtime)
- Look after pets – they’ll also be suffering in the heat. Give them a cold or very slightly damp towel to lie on, offer plenty of water and don’t let them walk on hot concrete as this can burn their paws.
I hope that these tips have given you some ideas for staying cool during this scorching summer. I’d love to hear your own hot weather hacks in the comments below so please do share 🙂
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