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Summer is great; the days are longer and abundant sunlight can improve your mood by boosting serotonin – the happiness hormone – and soaking up the sun allows you to get more vitamin D that can boost your immune system, so you feel better. No wonder, people love the summer.
But there is a downside too; summer heat can be tough on our bodies, the environment, and our electric bills. And summers have been getting hotter. The past four summers have been the hottest four recorded, and this trend is expected to continue.
But don't let the soaring temperatures get you down. Here are nine tips to beat the summer heat without running an air conditioner.
1. Guzzle Water
Staying hydrated is really important during the summer. When you are sweating from the heat or from exercising, your body needs plenty of fluid. Water is best, and it's free, but drinking anything that isn't caffeinated or full of sugar will work too. If you are thirsty and hungry, eating watermelon is a great way to quench both.
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2. Optimize Your Fans
Ceiling fans can really cool you down. If you set your blades to spin counterclockwise, a downdraft will be created that will move air to the center of the room, creating a wind chill effect to cool you. You can also set your window fan face out at night to keep your room cooler and help you sleep better at night.
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3. Build a DIY Air Conditioner
Turn your fan into an AC by putting a pan or bowl of ice in front of it, and your fan will blow cool air instead of hot outside air. Here's a bunch of simple ways to make your own.
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4. Just Say No to Your Oven
The best way to stay cool is not to heat up the house, so keep the oven off. You can use a rice cooker, crockpot, or microwave because they do not get as hot. Cook outside or eat cold soups, salads, and sandwiches.
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5. Best practices for Windows
Block sunny window. While sunshine streaming through your windows is a beautiful sight, the rays also bring heat into your home. So, close the shades and curtains or use sun blocking window film. Open them when the sun goes down to let the cool air blow in. Do the opposite in the winter for passive solar heating.
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6. We All Scream for Ice Cream or Popsicles
Eat ice cream, sorbet, or even popsicles to cool you off. Make your own fresh fruit popsicles, so they are healthy to eat, and you can control how much sugar they have. Here is a myriad of popsicle recipes to test in your kitchen.
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7. Take a Cold Shower
Cool off quickly in a cold shower when you come home from work or from exercising. Cold water in many climates is cheap so you can take more than once-a-day. If you live in a drought area, taking a short shower uses much less water than taking a bath.
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8. Know Your Body
If you are stuck in the heat and can't escape it, try to cool your pulse points. Place an ice cube or ice pack on your wrist or the back of your neck. Other cooling points are the insides of your elbows and knees, and the tops of your feet. If you are outside, you can fill your hat – always wear a hat during the summer – with cold water and put it on. You will get a cooling sensation in your head and neck that will cool your entire body down.
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9. Take a Dip
Go to the beach to get wet and cool down, or in a lake swimming pool, or even just running through sprinklers. Getting wet is the key to getting cool even if it means dunking your feet in the kiddie pool. Drink something cold, and you will cool off inside and out.
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