Hot hot hot

What made me happy today? It's hot hot hot!
Oh my, it's 35°C in the sun outside. In the shade it's around 28°C-29°C, and in my apartment it's about 26°C.
I'm lucky enough to work in an office with air conditioning and indoor parking. That's got me covered for most of the day!
But what do you do when you don't have these luxuries? Well, here's a few tips and tricks I've learned over the years:

- if you have blinds or curtains where you live, make sure to close them when the sun is shining on that side of your residence.
- keep the windows closed during the day, open them during the night.
- drink plenty of water.
- anything with mint in it will make you feel refreshed in an instant.
- dress light, and keep what you wear to a bare minimum. If this is possible of course, I have a dress code at work, so I wear more than I'd like.
- take a shower. Or get a cheap spray bottle, fill with water and mist yourself with it.
- eat less, but more frequently. Instead of hot foods, try lighter summer fare including frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or low fat dairy products. As an added benefit, you won't have to cook next to a hot stove.
- spicy foods and warm drinks. I know this seems counter-intuitive, but they'll make you sweat. And when your sweat evaporates, you'll feel cooler.
- think cool thoughts. Focusing on how hot it is will only make you feel warmer.
- avoid any strenuous activities, if possible.
- stay in the shade if you can. If not, make sure to wear sunscreen, and regularly re-apply it.
- still too hot? Go see a movie! Most movie theaters have air conditioning. So do lots of shops!
- store lotions or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator.
- keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you're ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you'll have a supply of cold water with you.
- avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.
- use your common sense!

Hope this helps you stay cool :-)