Hi my name is Darlene and I am so happy you decided to join my today.
With the summer temperatures reaching all time highs it is important to know how to prevent heat stress. Heat combined with other stresses such as hard physical labor, dehydration, fatigue or pre-existing medical conditions, it can lead to heat-related illness and death.
To help you beat the summer heat I have created this list.
With the summer temperatures reaching all time highs it is important to know how to prevent heat stress. Heat combined with other stresses such as hard physical labor, dehydration, fatigue or pre-existing medical conditions, it can lead to heat-related illness and death.
To help you beat the summer heat I have created this list.
- Try visiting public buildings that are air conditioned. Places like shopping malls, libraries and movie theaters are great for cooling down.
- Go to the park. All the trees and other plants cool the air.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Take a trip to the beach.
- Play at a splash pad.
- Get your water guns out.
- Run through the sprinkler.
- Try the “Egyptian method.” Dampen a sheet in cool water and use it as a blanket.
- Put your bathing suits on and have a cool bubble bath.
- Take a cool shower. Rinsing off under a stream of cool water will bring down your core body temperature and rinses off the sweat.
- Drink more water. You need to keep hydrated and replenish the liquids lost through sweating.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol and beverages high in sugar. They can contribute to dehydration.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored, breathable clothing made from material such as cotton to allow free air movement and sweat evaporation.
- Avoid using the oven and stove. Get your slow cooker out, rice cooker or barbecue. You could try no cook or oven free recipes.
- To cool down fast, apply ice packs or cold compresses to your pulse points at the wrists, neck, elbows, groin, ankles, and behind the knees.
- Spritz yourself. Consider using a spray bottle filled with cold water for a refreshing spritz when ever the need arises.
- Use insulated curtains to keep the hot sun out.
- Avoid the sun when its highest in the sky (between 10 am and 4 pm)
- Get down low. Hot air rises so put your bed close to the ground. That means dragging your mattress down from a loft or high bed and putting it on the floor. Try sleeping on the ground floor or in the basement instead of an upper level.
- Turn off the lights. Light bulbs give off heat so take advantage of the natural light.
- Cool down a whole room by hanging a wet sheet in front of an open window. The breeze blowing in will quickly bring down the room’s temperature.
- Camp in the backyard. Sometimes it is cooler outside than it is inside so pitch a tent in the yard and practice your camping skills.
- Save strenuous activities such as cutting the lawn or vacuuming for the cooler parts of the day.
- Grow plants inside and outside to provide shade and help cool the air.
- Utilize those fans. If you have a ceiling fan, run it counter-clockwise for optimum cooling. Point box fans out the windows so they push hot air out. Make an artificial breeze, by putting 2 fans at opposite ends of the house, one in, and one out. Make a DIY air conditioner by putting a shallow pan of ice in front of a fan. The forced air will pick up the cold water from the ice’s surface creating a cooling mist.
So the next time there is a heat warning in your area, keep in mind these 25 ways to beat the summer heat.
If you have any other ideas, I'd love to read them so share them down below in the comments.