Tips to stay cool in the heat – from people who live in hotter climates

If you feel uncomfortable during the night, consider sleeping with the fan on. It takes some getting used to, but it is possible. There are solar-powered ones to keep the energy bills down.

Have a fan in every room, or move your fan from room to room as you go about your day. Have it on constantly if you can.

Change up your menu

Opting for salads and foods that are quick to warm up avoids adding extra heat to your home.

Don’t use the oven if possible, and whatever you choose to cook, have your fan on as you prepare.

Batch-cook, so you don’t have to use the heat each day, or opt for the microwave.

Exercise

The heat causes lethargy and tiredness, but what I’ve noticed is that it’s actually feels worse if I haven’t exercised.

Yet who wants to run or do a hectic workout in the heat?

In Vietnam I got up with the locals to do Tai Chi in the park at 6am. People also gathered there to have dance classes in the evening after the sun went down.

Morning or evening is the perfect time for a stroll or an online workout at home.

Cycling is wonderful, even in the middle of the day, as you generate a cool breeze gliding through the air.

Or join the growing trend of wild swimmers for an ice cool dip.

Water is your friend

Put your hair under a tap as a cool head will make a big difference. Or wet a scarf and wrap it around your neck. Take a quick ice cold shower. Buy a mini fan which spritzes water. This was a life-saver for me when I experienced the ninth month of pregnancy in the height of summer in Switzerland. A large paddling pool, even for adults, is fun to relax.

Go slow

Walk slowly. Do the housework slowly. Don’t try to fight the heat, in a British ‘keep calm and carry on’ kind of attitude. Instead embrace a more ‘mañana’ type of perspective whenever you can.

Escape to aircon when you absolutely need to

If you just can’t bear it, then a visit to an airconned environment can help. A walk around a shopping centre, remote working in a air-conned cafe, or a visit to a cool gym can be like a mini holiday from the heat.

Suss out nearby places to visit for when it gets too much.

Schedule your day with care

Think like a heat-aware person. The old adage ‘only fools and Englishman go out in the midday sun’ still rings true.

I have an Irish friend In Italy who I once invited over ‘after lunch’. I was surprised when she finally turned up at 6pm! However after 20 years here, she had learnt it’s foolish to go out in the heat of the day. It was perfectly natural for an afternoon meet-up to occur at a time we Brits think of as evening.

So, don’t schedule a hike at midday. Choose cafes and bars with cool, shady areas, or aircon. Think of activities that will be enjoyable and make the heat bearable, not a challenge.

Change your perspective

A temperature of 34 degrees in the UK is abnormal and newsworthy. However, bear in mind that in many parts of the world, this is simply normal summer weather. Remind yourself that there are people around the globe who live and thrive under these conditions.

However, one of the key difference is that buildings and life in these places are designed around hot summers. There are swimming pools, aircon, cool stone floors and insulation designed to keep the heat out.

So if you’ve tried all these tips, and still find it hard to cope, then try to be kind to yourself.

This too will pass, and before you know it the autumn leaves will be falling, and you can snuggle up on the sofa with a warm mug of cocoa, complaining about the rain again.