Wellbeing

10 ways to keep cool in summer

While the temperature soars, chill out with these refreshing suggestions

Written by Medibank
Silhouettes of young group of people jumping in ocean at sunset

1. Keep it dim – Resist the urge to fling open the curtains to a sunny morning. Come mid-afternoon, your home will feel like a hot box. On seriously warm days, a dark house is a cooler house.

2. Plunge into water – Whether it’s dipping your feet in a cool bath, taking a tepid shower, filling up a spray bottle, wetting your hair or filling a kiddie pool in the garden, water is your friend, so lap it up.

3. Stay hydrated – Those uncomfortable symptoms of hot days, like niggling headaches, can often be side effects of dehydration. To keep adequately hydrated, have a water bottle or large water jug on hand and add some delicious chopped cucumber or citrus fruits for extra refreshment.

4. Ease up on the booze – While a cold beer feels like a godsend in the heat, avoid drinking too much alcohol, as it will quickly dehydrate you in hot conditions.

5. Don’t fan the flames – Keep oven and stove use to a minimum in the searing heat. Opt for meals that don’t require much cooking like sandwiches, salads, smoothies, frozen fruit cubes and yoghurt.

6. Cool your brew – Make a percolator of coffee ahead of time and chill in the fridge for a cooling alternative to your morning café latte. For a delicious treat, pour over a scoop of vanilla ice-cream for an affogato-inspired dessert. Be careful not to go overboard with caffeine on hot days though, as it will have a dehydrating effect.

7. Take the indoors out – Once the heat of the day has passed, embrace summertime by taking your evening routine outside. Read by the setting sun, fire up the BBQ for dinner, spread out a rug and enjoy dinner under the stars – with a mozzie coil on hand!

8. Follow the breeze – When you’re at home, stay aware of the direction of the wind and strategically open windows to catch a breeze.

9. A room at a time – Try not to cool the entire house at once; be more energy efficient by working with the rooms that are being occupied – living rooms in the daytime and bedrooms in the evening.

10. Soak it up – From wetting your pillowcase before bed to having a damp face washer on the back of your neck, there are some enduring old-school ways to bring down the body temperature.

Written by Medibank

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