Thursday, May 30, 2019

Keeping Cool in This Heat

It has been raining a lot lately. According to the weather reports, the rainy season will follow soon after. That is such a relief! I have been having a difficult time dealing with the warm weather and it will be a huge blessing to have cooler days ahead! 

Blogging has not been as regular as I would like for it to be these days because of the heat. I have nothing going on because I’d rather hide from the sun when I’m not at work. The heat has also made me feel weak lately so sleep has been my default mode when I’m home. Hopefully, my blogging life will resume on a more consistent basis once the weather improves. 

I know that I’ve blogged about this before but I can’t help but do it again because the warm weather has been even more unbearable since my last entry on it. I was telling my sister that if the weather keeps getting hot as the years go then life in the Philippines in the decades to come would be next to impossible during the summer. The government and the private sector need to work together to ensure that measures are taken from both sides to combat Climate Change and to come up with methods to help cool down this side of the planet. 



The sun has been very cruel these past few months. I didn’t realize how cruel it was until I saw sunburn marks on my arms from where the sleeves of my uniform (and my T-shirts, for that matter) end. To think that I am not even outdoors that much! I can’t imagine how bad it is for people who work outside regularly! 

Temperatures have been soaring to the point that I prefer to stay inside my room, protected by blackout curtains and with the air conditioner on. I keep suffering from headaches and dizzy spells whenever I’m in an area without air conditioning so I prefer to stay safe in my room whenever I can. Even with a fan on, the heat is hard to tolerate because you can feel the hot air pressing on your skin! 

I hope everyone else is doing what they can to stay safe and healthy in this weather. I’ve heard of colleagues who have suffered from heart attacks and high blood pressure problems because of this heat. The local funeral parlor, as per the owner, said that at one point 14 cadavers were waiting to be embalmed, which just shows how many people have suffered and died from the alarming weather we’ve been having.  

To my readers who have been feeling the heat in the worst way like me, here are some tips that I’ve tried to cool down in this crazy summer heat: 

Take a Cold Shower – I know we should save water and all that but this is an effective way to cool down if you can’t stay in an air-conditioned room during the day. I shower twice a day, sometimes more. If I feel like saving water, I just dunk my head under the shower so that my head is cooler at least. 

Cooled Water Spray – I keep water in a spray bottle and place it in the refrigerator (or freezer) so that when it’s too hot, I spray it on me or on my bed if I’m in my room because the mattress absorbs so much heat during the day.  

Keep it Light – Try to keep your clothes (and bedsheets) light so that you won’t feel the heat as much. Cotton is your best bet in this weather. 

The Ice in Front of the Fan Trick – Putting a container full of ice in front of a fan will give you cooler air, but it can be a bit messy with the water dripping once all the ice is melted. Another alternative would be to use an air cooler, a device that you put water (or ice) into so that it blows cool air into your room. 

Cool Fever – Yes, it’s for fevers, but it does help cool down your body temperature so why not? Anything that cools you down helps! 

Menthol Shampoo – This is more of a temporary fix since the effect wears off but still a good one to try. I use Head and Shoulders menthol and it does help give a cool feeling to your scalp. I heard there is an extra cool menthol variant, but I haven’t tried that one. It would probably be even better! 

Stay Hydrated – Drink lots of water. Eat fruits like watermelon and veggies like cucumbers to help hydrate you too. 

Lights Off – I find that it’s warmer when there are lights on in my room. Letting the sun and the heat in does the same thing. If you can tolerate it, keep your curtains (blackout, preferably) closed and lights off while you cool down in your room. 

Just a few weeks of heat more (hopefully). Keeping my finger crossed that the rain comes sooner than expected! 
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