This European heatwave has been going on for weeks and shows no signs of abating. It’s really wearing me down. Any tips for staying cool when you don’t have air conditioning? I’ve tried the whole shutting the windows and blinds thing they recommend but that just makes it worse. I already feel uncomfortably hot at the best of times as a side effect of my medication. So an actual heatwave on top is literal torture. It’s so bad in the UK that supermarket refrigerators have stopped working due to the heat, and the news says its going to be the longest heatwave in 50 years.
Keep heat out, a white bedsheet or better yet tin foil outside your window to reflect away the sun is great. I would also back the tinfoil in something so it doesn’t directly touch the glass, cardboard or something. You want it outside the glass rather than inside. At best inside is much less effective and at worst you can break window panes with foil on the inside due to the concentration of heat (though unlikely). Try not to cook too much or use other heat causing appliances.
For dealing with the heat that is in: I’m a big proponent of soaking a T-shirt in cold water, then sitting infront of a fan. The evaporative cooling effect is really quite strong. Otherwise stay hydrated, keep your salts high so you can sweat more effectively. I like to keep a water bottle in the freezer that I keep pouring glasses from and topping up. It’s always just partially frozen ice cold.
Piggybacking on this comment because of the salt mention:
Bananas are also a delicious and convenient way to get potassium, another important electrolyte. If you’re gonna be sweating a lot the electrolytes become important.
However, potassium isn’t something you should consume in huge quantities it’s not Vitamin C so don’t go out and buy pills because it’s hot out. Have a banana. The potassium will be more effectively absorbed as well, banana vs supplement, as far as I know.