Spring, Fall, Winter, and Summer are all beautiful seasons, each holding both positive and negative aspects. During spring, numerous types of flowers bloom, plants begin to grow, and wildlife starts to come out from hibernation. When fall rolls around, the color of the leaves, the smell of the air, and the festivities of the season fill each person with excitement. The coming of Winter brings snow, Christmas, New Years, need I say more? And summer, school is off, beaches are open, vacations come and go, and good times ensue.
Along with all the good each season brings, there are definitely some bad. Spring brings allergies and rain, Fall brings the start of school, Winter brings winds and chills, and summer, the brutal heat waves! With all of us experiencing that summer sun lately, I think we could use some helpful and creative ways to keep cool during the rest of this summer. Not every person owns an air conditioning unit and even if you do, that heat can really get to you. So, without further ado here are ten good ideas for keeping it cool this summer.
I know what you are thinking, another cliché list of things I already know about cooling down. To that, all I have to say is… chill. You will be surprised. The first tip is obvious, if you’re hot, drink something cold, no problem. Specifically, you need to make sure you are drinking enough water. It is possible to be dehydrated without feeling thirsty, take my word for it. It isn’t fun to experience headaches, fatigue, and exhaustion all because you didn’t grab an extra glass of water. Have a hard time drinking a ton of water? Looking for something to eat instead? Try some fruit! Watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and kiwi are just a few examples of some foods that are full of hydrating and nutritious properties that could cool you down in the summer heat.
No, you didn’t misread this title and no, I am not out of my mind. It is scientifically proven that if you consume hot drinks or hot food your body temperature rises. Not a surprising fact. In the end, your body compensates for this overheating, thus forcing your body to cool down. Another way to trick your body into lowering the body temp is by eating spicey foods. Your body will experience the heat of the food and will try to lower your body temperature as well.
While finding shade in the heat of the day is definitely a typical solution to overheating, a tip people don’t think about when trying to keep the house cool is opening and closing windows at appropriate times of the day. To maximize the use of the rising and falling temperatures that we experience during the summer, it is important to open your windows around 4-8 am and close them until 8pm. The morning and evening are the coolest parts of the day and using it to your benefit is always, well, a benefit.
No, this isn’t the sequel to the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” While sweating is a natural way to regulate body temperature, there is something to be said for reducing the uncomfortability of it through cooling the right areas of the body. The ankles, wrists, inside of the elbow, under the knees and behind the neck are all target areas to place cold compresses or ice packs to help cool you down.
In the hustle and bustle of family life, it is not uncommon for family members to prepare their meals at different times of the day. Unfortunately, by the time everyone is finishing using the oven, stove, toaster oven, or toaster, it feels like the kitchen could be repurposed as a sauna. During the summer the constant use of appliances can really increase the temperature inside the home. In the morning and evening, the heat coming from those appliances will not impact the house temperature as much. Avoiding heavy use of them during the hottest time of the day (between 12:00-3:00) could really help reduce discomfort in the home.
This one may sound weird, but believe me, it really is a great idea. If you don’t have AC in your house or if your trying to cut down on the utility bill a bit, then using the ice and fan trick could really save you from heat stroke. A fan generally blows the air in the room around to simply add a breeze, it really doesn’t bring the temperature of the room down. However, if you place some ice cubes or frozen water bottles in front of the fan, then you will experience a kind of air conditioning effect as it blows the cold air around the room. It can be considered a simple variation of a swamp cooler. Using this trick can also cool down the motor of the fan, thus reducing any extra heat generation.
There is nothing worse than going to bed hot and sweaty and then waking up in the middle of the night with drenched sheets and a soaking wet body. It is uncomfortable to say the least. Once winter rolls around, we tend to pull out those flannel bed sheets and pillowcases because that type of material locks in heat and makes sleeping nice and cozy. Same thing when it comes to summer. With the change of the season there should be a change of the bed sheets. Cotton or silk sheets are light and airy, providing better sweat absorption and breathability throughout the night.
Throughout my 20 years on this earth, I have believed that any cold drink would most likely prove to be refreshing and cooling on a hot summer day. This is unfortunately NOT true. In many of those beloved summer drinks such as iced coffee, sweet tea, and yes, even soda pop there is this little ingredient called caffeine. While many people, especially college students thrive off this, it is not necessarily the best idea to drink on a really hot day. Caffeine raises the heart rate and increases blood pressure which can also increase body temperature. The good news is that coffee, sweet tea, and soda pop do have decaffeinated alternatives that are just as tasty!
Obviously one of the easiest ways to cool down is to take a jump in a pool, lake, or creek. Water hoses, sprinklers, and water balloon fights could do the trick as well. So yes, get yourself wet! An interesting way to cool down the inside of your house is to throw a bit of water on the floor along with a few damp towels. Be wary of what kinds of flooring you have because you don’t want to ruin them, but wetting your floors has been known to bring the temperature down in the house.
Once fall and winter comes around it is common for us to load up on sweaters, blankets, and heavily insulated items to keep us snug as a bug through the cold weather. By the time summer hits we tend to leave those few extra blankets, pillows, and soft rugs lying around. Interestingly enough, it is found that these extra items can cause heat retention within the home and cause the room temperature to stay toasty in the summer. By rolling up those extra rugs, storing away those numerous pillows, and folding up the many blankets acquired throughout the winter, you can really keep your home and your family a lot cooler throughout the summer.
That is the end of our list of smart tips to keep you cool in summer! Some of these tips may have been something you have already been practicing and that is great. The fact is, summer is indeed a hot and sticky time of the year but is to be enjoyed! Don’t wish it away. On those few occasions that the heat may get to you, hopefully some of these ways to keep yourself cool in the summer will prove to be helpful. Happy Summer!
Geneva College is keeping it cool while preparing for the fall semester on campus. Contact Admissions for more information about joining our next class of students who will benefit from Christ-centered, vocationally focused education - admissions@geneva.edu | 800-847-8255.
-Abby Forton ‘22
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Photo by Delaney Van on Unsplash
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Aug 12, 2021
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