Hot days are awful, especially when humidity is involved. It's harder to sleep, cooking and baking are either completely out of the question or incredibly limited, and even your hot cup of morning coffee feels more like a hindrance than a help.
The best way to keep cool is to stay home and contact an HVAC Contractor Lakewood Co to make sure your air conditioner is in tip-top shape. If staying home isn’t an option, though, the following may help you understand what else you can do to stave off the hot wave blues.
Take it Slow
You need to avoid strenuous activity when the day is at its hottest when you can. This means one of two things based on your career and health choices: either the next little while is going to be truly awful due to your job or life will be extra inconvenient as you shift around your workout times.
It's best to do strenuous activities when the day is at its coolest, so in the early morning and late evening. However, it's important to know that it will still be extra warm during these times, so you may need to scale your exercise routine back a bit to compensate.
Failing to do so may cause you to dehydrate and eventually lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. If your job is made up of strenuous activities, see what you can do to cool yourself off while working.
Water, fruits, shade and an air-conditioned break area are all things to keep an eye on. Research the signs of heat problems as well so you can protect yourself and your colleagues from disaster.
Enjoy the Water
Water will help you stay cool and is especially important during heatwaves. One of the main ways your body will try and lower your temperature is through sweat. This is a big part of why staying hydrated is so important, but you already knew this. What you may have been unaware of is exactly how you can utilize water to keep you as cool as possible.
Start with cool showers. This doesn't mean to turn the heat all the way off and take a freezing cold shower; this will likely have the opposite effect. No, keep the heat on, but make the water much cooler than you’re used to. This will lower your body temperature to a cool state and make the warm environment much more manageable.
If you’d prefer a more relaxing cool, fill the bathtub with cool water and soak in it for a bit. You can soak your feet in cool water if you either don’t have a tub or the time for a full-body soak.
Know What to Eat
It’s important to know what to eat when it's hot outside, as some foods will cool you down and others will heat you up. A big thing to keep in mind is that hefty meals that weigh heavy on the stomach should be avoided. Large amounts of things like meat and grain will make you feel hotter and more uncomfortable.
Instead, eat lighter meals like soups and stews, or see how far you can take fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are mostly made of water, so they will not only be tasty and nutritious; they’ll also help you stay hydrated.
Soups, on the other hand, can be just as nutritious while also being light enough to prevent discomfort. They could even make you cooler, though this requires you to enjoy spicy foods and sweating. Bear in mind that you’ll need to chase spicy foods with plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Make Your House a Sanctuary
One of the best things you can do for yourself during a heat wave is keep your home cool. Imagine it like this: the world around you is a desert during a heat wave. Unbearably hot and unavoidable though there is usually drinkable water close by at all times at least.
Work exhausts you faster, driving is rough thanks to the bright sun and glare, and even the normally beautiful trees and grass may start to dry up and wilt a bit. The only way to make this desert bearable is to have your own private oasis to retire to.
Make your home that oasis by utilizing your air conditioning, fans, cool showers and whatever else you can muster. Just make sure that your indoor setup relieves more stress than it brings. This may mean something as simple as repositioning fans and buying sound-canceling headphones or as extreme as setting up a small quiet room to escape to.
You’d be surprised by how much discomfort and stress affect your sensitivity to things like constant background noise.
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