Tips to stay cool in the heat

The June heat wave was met with celebration by people who spends afternoons  in the garden, and slightly less enthusiastic by those of us who are locked in an office for most of the day. If you want to enjoy the summer without feeling you are in a japanese bath house use these tips!

Close your curtains

Keep your curtains closed during the day to shade your rooms and prevent the sun from getting in. This won’t be pleasant if you’re home at the time, but it makes sense to stop sunlight from heating up the room while you're out.

Cover up

First instinct when the weather gets involved is to strip, this is in fact the wrong thing to do, have some modesty for the love of pete. Wear long loose clothes in thin material, people living in the hottest countries will often cover themselves from head to toe, which can help to shade the skin and protect the body from harmful UV rays.

Put ice in front of the fan

If you have a fan and let's be honest you do placing cups of ice in front of it cools surrounding air you then place the fan pointing towards you whilst you're in bed cause how else are you gonna use it?!.  This ice combination can help beat the most insufferable heat wave.

Avoid big meals

Eating a lot in one go will only make you feel hotter, as digestion uses a lot of energy and generates body heat. If you want to stay cool, eat small amounts of cold food throughout the day, instead of stockpiling your body’s work after one big meal.

Cool your pillow

Wrap your pillow in a plastic bag and then put in the fridge throughout the day, so when you come to sleep at night you’ll have a lovely cool place to rest your head. Your temples are also pulse points, where veins are close to the skin’s surface, and cooling these areas will help reduce heat throughout your body.

Wear light colours

Dark colours absorb more heat than light ones, so stay clear of black. Not only is it a depressing to colour to wear mid-summer, but it will also make you feel more hot. White, beige and light pastel colours are the best shades to wear to keep your skin cool.

Turn off electrical items

Most electric objects give out heat so turn off all incandescent light bulbs, your computer and your TV. That one light bulb may not seem like much of a heat risk but collectively, they really can make a difference.

Use water

We all know water is the best way to stay cool, but when a swimming pool isn’t handy, there are clever ways to make a little water go along way. Dab water to the body areas where heat tends to gather, and also to pressure points where a little water will help cool your whole system. Wrists, temples, elbows and joint creases are good places to start.