I grew up in Florida with no AC (uphill both ways and barefoot!) and I’ve learned a thing or to about coping with insanely hot weather.

Put your clothes in the freezer.

There is nothing better than putting on a t-shirt straight out of the freezer when you are hot!  It won’t magically make the weather feel like 72 degrees on a beautiful spring day, but it will revive and refresh you.

Find some tile.

Sometimes, when I absolutely couldn’t take it anymore, I would go to the bathroom and lay down on the tile so I could get some sleep.  The tiles were always cool (until my skin warmed them up) and I would rotate “cooling spots” so that I would always have a cool spot to lay on.  I would also rotate me so that both my front and my back could enjoy the respite.

Take a cold shower.

Sometimes, all it takes is 10 seconds of a brisk shower to cool you off.  And I mean brisk.  I used to pretend that I was jumping into the Florida springs (which are always around 70 degrees) so that it didn’t bother me.

…and then sit in front of a fan!

The combination of cool water and fan cannot, absolutely cannot, be overestimated in its cooling awesome.  While fans alone help enormously, they are a godsend when used in conjunction with water.  That’s the reason that so many theme parks use ultra-fine ‘misters’ and why I love me some Bath & Body Works tangerine body spray mist.

Water

Water is important when cooling off, but not just for drinking!  Sometimes we need to get cool on the run.  If you can find a sink, however, not all is lost!  Using a damp paper towel to wipe your face and neck is ultra-refreshing and if you have easy access to a tub, you can cool your feet off as well.

Rock a muumuu!

There is a reason that muumuus are in abundance in tropical locations.   They are roomy and allow for air flow between you and the fabric.  (Honestly, it’s the next best thing to being naked and not everyone has the luxury of sitting in front of a fan au natural.)  Our bodies naturally cool when sweat evaporates from our skin but that process is hijacked if you are wearing clothing that is close to the skin.  Basically, the baggier and more lightweight, the better!

Wear black.

Really, I’m not kidding!  First of all, black hides sweat marks and, if you happen to be wearing a synthetic fabric, will dry pretty quickly.  So just because you feel funky, you don’t have to look funky.

As long as you are not spending the hottest part of the day doing hard labor outside, you should be fine.

Turn your home into the Bat Cave.

We are psychologically wired to equate bright light with heat.  Sitting at home with the lights on in the middle of a summer’s afternoon will make you ‘feel’ hotter, even though those lights have no appreciable difference on the actual temperature.

Enjoy the cooler side of comestibles!

This is indeed the time to break out ice cream and freezy pops…but go slowly or you might give yourself brain freeze!