Summer is my least favourite season of the year. I am simply not a "summer person" so to survive during periods of intense heat I have developed a number of strategies that make life more comfortable for me. They may be appropriate for you too.
There are three aspects of our lives that need to be considered: the working day, the at-home situation and leisure activities.
1. Survival at work.
This is the time when the biggest effort has to be made. The job still has to be done and there will inevitably be people around who simply thrive on the heat. Avoid complaining because they will not sympathise with you; simply try to "grin and bear it."
If, like me, you work indoors and do not have an air-conditioned workspace, it helps to open the door at each end of the room, creating a current of moving air. Close the blinds of all windows on which the sun is shining. Leave overhead fans running at low speed to draw up the warmer air. A pedestal fan directed at your desk, also running at low speed, reduces humidity and lessens the discomfort of perspiration.
Turn off lighting if you normally have it on; you will still be able to see well enough once your eyes adjust, the dimmer conditions are soothing and you will avoid the extra heat generated by the lights.
Have cool drinking water on your desk and drink as often as possible. Avoid soft drinks, which make you feel bloated, do not really quench your thirst and cause increased loss of body fluids. Also avoid coffee, which is a stimulant and will increase your sensitivity to the heat. If you must have a flavoured drink, iced tea is soothing.
Eat light snacks. A salad sandwich with some fruit, both from the refrigerator, will tempt your appetite while maintaining your energy levels.
Avoid rushing. You can move around calmly while still managing to get tasks done. Stay relaxed and try to avoid stressing over any situation. Anxiety makes your heart pump faster, increasing blood flow and therefore raising body heat.
Do not attack those extra tasks that you have accumulated if the day happens to be particularly hot. There will be cooler days to come when you can catch up on the backload. The scorching days should be those when you finish as early as possible and head home in the comfort of your (hopefully) air-conditioned car.
2. At home.
All of the above also apply to coping with the heat at home.
Although you may be suffering in the heat yourself, remember that for babies, the elderly and for pets at home, heat is more than uncomfortable: it can kill. Make sure that every precaution is taken, especially by ensuring adequate water-intake and, for the first two, the lightest of clothing.
It is particularly important to ensure that blinds and drapes are closed as early as possible on windows where the morning sun will shine. Reverse this process later in the day when the sun moves to the other side of the house.
Schedule any tasks that you must do, such as the washing, for the earliest part of the day while the air is still relatively cool. Leave heavy activities like window cleaning for other days when the weather is less oppressive.
You will not want to work in the garden on a hot day but watering may be necessary. This is best done in the late afternoon as the sun is going down and during early evening, when the plants will have the night hours to absorb the water and evaporation will be minimal. If you are hosing, wear shorts ands go without shoes; spray your legs occasionally in the process and you and the lawn will feel refreshed.
Leave your bedroom windows wide open after hot days, once the sun has gone down (providing you have insect screens.) Running a pedestal fan at low speed in the room keeps the air moving while you are in bed and some people find that the soft humming noise soothes and induces sleep.
On a really hot evening, a change of bed linen fills the room with that lovely freshly-washed garden aroma that we all enjoy, and the smooth crispness of the sheets is inviting and calming.
3. Leisure activities.
While shopping may not be regarded as leisurely, it is best done as early as possible during hot weather. Although air-conditioned supermarkets are comfortable shopping places, a parked car can become unbearably hot later in the day and so you will want to avoid this discomfort.
Use insulated bags to ensure that refrigerated products remain cool until you arrive home.
Children invariably want to be immersed in water on a hot day. If your children are young they may play happily in the bathtub with a variety of toys, if carefully supervised. The water must be shallow and should be warm, not cold, is they can quickly become chilled, even in hot weather. Do not empty the tub when they finish - the water will not be dirty and they may use it again later in the day, or you could bucket it out onto the garden.
A wading pool in a shaded part of the backyard provides cooling fun for young children. I used to sit in the pool myself while my children decorated me with various items from the toy cupboard and poured cascades of water over me with their watering cans.
Water-pistols can be filled from the pool. They are less wasteful than a trickling hose but can create lots of excitement for those involved.
Swimming at the beach is probably less enjoyable and less safe (because of the intensity of the sun's rays) on a really hot day than it is when the heat is less extreme. Lack of shade, the discomfort of sand and salt and flies, and returning to a baking car which is probably parked miles from the beach, are all off-putting. Try to plan your beach trips for other than the hottest days.
If all else fails on the hottest of hot summer days, the air-conditioned shopping complexes are wonderful places for both children and adults. Often they are less crowded than at other times because so many have gone to the beach or are sitting at home with their cooling systems. The cinema provides quiet and cool entertainment and when you return to your car later, you will not be too uncomfortable because you probably used the undercover parking connected to the complex.
The overall reminders for hot days include the following: stay indoors if possible, stay in the shade when out-of-doors, wear the lightest clothing that you have, drink lots of water and avoid strenuous activity.
And try to stay positive. There are cooler days to come!