To be honest, this year hasn’t been so hot compared to last year. I don’t know if it’s just me or maybe the weather is actually calmer this time around, but I’m honestly grateful for it. Last year was something else, the kind of heat we had then was just too much. Sometimes I would wake up sweating in the middle of the night, and during the day it was even worse. I felt tired and drained almost every day
So since this year is a bit better, I just thought I should share how I managed the heat last year when it was at its worst, and some of the things I did to stay cool and sane through it
One thing that helped me a lot was drinking enough water. It might sound simple but I don’t think many people realise how much it helps. I made sure to always keep a bottle of water next to me whether I was doing anything or not. I was constantly sipping water and sometimes added lemon slices or cucumber just to make it more refreshing. I even kept bottles in the freezer so I could have really cold water when I needed it
Another thing I did was bathing more than once in a day. I usually took one bath in the morning, another one in the afternoon (especially if I had been sweating), and one more at night before bed. Even when I was tired, I forced myself to wash off the sweat so I could sleep better. That cool feeling after a bath during heat is one thing that really gave me peace
I also stopped cooking heavy meals during the hot part of the day. I moved things like boiling rice or making soups to early morning or late evening when the kitchen wouldn’t feel like an oven. Most times in the afternoon, I just ate fruits like watermelon, banana, or mango, or sometimes a cold drink and biscuits. It made me feel lighter and less sweaty
Power supply was very poor then, so I couldn’t always rely on fan or AC. What I did instead was keep the windows wide open early in the morning to let fresh air come in, and by midday when the sun became too much, I would shut the curtains to keep the sun out. That helped reduce how hot the room gets. I also used a small hand towel soaked in cold water and placed it on my neck or head when it got too hot, very simple but helpful
I wore very light clothes, mostly loose cotton ones, and I avoided tight things that made me feel sticky. Most days I didn’t even want to go anywhere because of the weather, so I stayed indoors and just rested. I also made sure to wash my pillowcases and bedsheets often because sweating on them every night made them uncomfortable
So yeah, that’s just a few of the things I did last year to survive the heat. This year feels like a gift honestly, and I’m happy I don’t have to go through all that again for now. Still, I’ve kept some of those habits just in case the heat decides to come back anytime soon
*I’d love to know if others have some easy ways they use to manage heat too, we all learn from each other.
Thanks for reading through.
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