By BR Amelia
It seems you’re either a fan of the heat or you’re not. Those who are will have heaters going full bore during winter, never bat an eyelid when the temperature goes over 30 in summer, and will moan and groan the moment things go less than sub-tropical. Meanwhile those who hate the heat walk around in winter smiling and chatting perkily about how refreshing the weather is, while in summer they hide inside and crank up the air conditioning.
With the onset of the sunny season the temperature is beginning to crank up, which is no fun for heat-haters. So apart from hiding away in an air-conditioned room, what other things can you do to help beat the heat?
Run your wrists under cold water. Simple right? The idea behind this is that the blood runs close to the surface at your wrists and so is cooled quickly and pumped around the body at a faster pace. This trick can also be applied to other pulse points, including the ankles, your elbows and your neck. The reason why wrists are a favourite spot at BRHQ? It’s easier to run water over your wrists than your elbows, there’s a lot less potential for mess too.
However if you want to give this a double whammy, take a clean cloth and dampen it, pop it in the fridge (or freezer for a quick-fix), then pull out and pop onto the pulse point of your choice for a quick cool down.
Good old H20 comes to the rescue again if you’re tossing and turning on a hot summer’s night. If you’re a hot sweaty mess jump into a tepid shower. While you may be tempted to turn the temp right down, don’t, as your body will freak out and heat up even more quickly, making you even hotter in the long run.
Speaking of sweat. It does have its uses. Sweat actually helps cool you down, which is why eating spicy foods is a well-known method of chilling out. Basically spicy food will make you sweat by increasing your internal temperature to match that outside. Once you’re sweating the sweat evaporates, which then cools you off.
Don’t want people to see your sweat? (And is anyone else having Hypercolor top flashbacks right now?) Make sure your clothing is heat appropriate. Think light cotton or linen pieces that flow rather than grip. Not a fan of the flow? Seek out moisture-wicking clothing, which will remove sweat from your body into the material where it will then evaporate.
So now we know that sweating is actually a good think in hot weather, make sure you drink loads of water so you’re well hydrated, which leads to you having something to sweat out, which keeps you as cool as a cucumber.
Other quick fixes for refreshing your bod on a hot day or night? Some swear by freezing your sheets before hitting the sack. Other take cooling off to the next level, literally, by sleeping low to the ground as heat rises and the lower you are the cooler it is. If it’s warmer out than in do not open the windows, as you’ll just be asking for an extra hit of heat. Got a fan and some ice in the freezer? Fill a dish with the ice and place it in front of the fan for cheap air-con.
Are you a summer-shunner? What are your tips and tricks for keeping cool as the mercury rises? Sharing is caring!
I'm a heat hater. When I get too hot I get really dizzy and I can't think straight until I get back into a cool place! Humidity I think is what really brings that hot feeling out. I end up showering 3 times a day if not more! I like to use a product called 'prickly heat'. It's powder and you just use a bit of water to stick to your body. It's kind of like Aloe gel and feels super cool when you put it on and will stay like that for most of the day. You feel really clean and not sticky like when you use Aloe gel. Has anyone else tried this product? It's originally from England.. I think.