How to keep cool when it’s hot
1. If you’re working from home, wear a wet T shirt with a cooling scarf (you can get them on Amazon) wrapped around your wrist or neck – these are great in the car as well. A wet towel or cotton scarf around your neck will obviously help too but the cooling scarves seem to work better and stay cool longer.
2. Sleeping: dampen a cotton sheet and sleep with it over you. Tempting as it is to sleep in the buff, it’s actually more cooling to sleep in light cotton nightwear (less sticky).
3. The Greek Granny technique. Last summer I spent a month with a couple who opened all the windows in 36c heat (not much of a breeze either)…no!!!
The Greek Granny approach as I call it is better. If the night is cool enough, leave windows open and create a draught if possible, but the minute it starts warming up in the morning, close them and draw the curtains or blinds. Dark and closed in is cooler and if you have a fan that’ll probably be enough.
By letting a warm breeze in thinking it’s better to have some airflow, you’ve ruined your chances of cooling your place or room down unless you have air con. It’s like letting the heat of an oven seep through your windows.
4. The Iced Mint Water Spritz. Find an empty spritzing bottle, fill it with water and add peppermint essential oil, then leave it overnight in the fridge. The mint has an extra cooling effect on your skin and if you use it in the evenings, eg on a terrace or in the garden, it’ll keep mosquitoes and flies away.
Most insects hate mint – it’s part of my Natural First Aid Kit.
5. Use an ice pack or a few ice cubes wrapped in a cotton tea towel for example on the main points of your body that help cool you: pulse points on wrists, feet, neck, forehead, etc. Your feet are a great way of warming you up or cooling you off, so an ice cool foot soak is another great idea.
6. Keep hydrated and eat high water content foods like watermelon or cucumber (a Greek salad is perfect for hot days). I pop strawberry halves and mint leaves in my ice cube tray to add a little colour and “sabor” to chilled drinks.
7. This one’s for my mum: ice cream.