Being a New Yorker at heart, I’m not a fan of the heat. After living in Florida for 20+ years, I’ve learned that you can’t escape the heat of summer; no matter how hard you try. Believe me, I’ve tried. Instead of fighting with my enemy, I’ve adopted a new approach and I’m learning how to get along (because – clearly – I’m not winning this fight). Below are my 5 tips to keeping cool.
- Choose your clothes wisely
- And by that I mean, be particular about your fabric choices. Aim for cotton or linen clothes that will allow your skin to breath. Stay far away from fabrics such as satin, silk and polyester. Look for lightweight fabric and light-colored clothing. Black is not your friend in the summer.
- Water water water!
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking 2 bottles of water in 20 minutes isn’t going to help. In fact, it’ll flush electrolytes right out of your system! Drink water throughout the day – at least 96 fl oz on hot days. And avoid sugary beverages. No, coffee doesn’t count as water.
- Cool down your body
- When your body feels hot, put cold water (or an ice cube) on your wrists and behind your ears. This will help give your body and instant icy boost. Or drink a glass of ice water. Cool down that internal body temp.
- Turn your lights off
- Those old light bulbs produce heat. You could switch all your lights to LED, which produce significantly less heat. To help keep your space cool, keep your lights off when you’re not in the room. Or, if you’re like me, turn the lights off when you’re in the room. Cave mode: activated.
- Be kind to your A/C
- Your air conditioner is working hard, day and night, to keep your home or office cool. Schedule regular maintenance checks for your unit. Believe me, you don’t want that A/C to break in the middle of the summer.
