I posted Safe Alternatives to Leisure Activities yesterday, and it turned out to be the hottest day of the year in the UK. Today is looking like it might be another record-breaker in terms of heat, AND there is also a warning about the very high UV levels.
PLEASE stay safe.
If you’re desperate to get outdoors, or you need to get outdoors for your health—I saw interviews with some people who live in very high flats which get hot easily—take as much care as possible, not just with social distancing but also with good sun protection and an awareness of the risks and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
If you’re planning a trip, for example to the beach, follow the lead of the family I saw interviewed who had arrived on the beach very early—go at a time when there will be much fewer visitors! You don’t necessarily have to arrive before the sun is up, as they did, but aim for a time when social distancing will be much easier, and leave before it gets too busy. Also if you’re going to the beach–or somewhere else where there’s water–make sure there’s a lifeguard on duty, as many places don’t have any at the moment. (Unfortunately the RNLI website is currently unavailable so I haven’t been able to provide a link. I will check back later.)
Since a lot of people living on their own will be staying indoors, please check in on vulnerable family and friends to make sure they’re okay. If they’re not the kind of person who outright says if they don’t feel well, quiz them a bit to make sure they’re not suffering from heat exhaustion and just don’t realise. Make sure they’re doing what they can to protect themselves, and help them out if there’s something they need.
I realise not all of these will be practical for everyone, but these are some things I’ve found useful for keeping cool at home:
- If you don’t have one already, large fans can be bought quite cheaply. I recommend having one in your living-room (and whatever room you spend most of your time in) and one for your bedroom.
- If it’s safe for you to have your windows open, open all of them, even if you’re not using the room. Use fans if you have them to further air your home.
- Cooling sprays like Magicool are wonderful, and much better (and less faffy) than squirting water on your skin.
- Keep drinking water in your fridge. If you want to cool the water quicker when refilling, pop it in the freezer. (But don’t forget it’s in there!)
Also, my most extreme way of cooling myself down is to take a cold shower or even shallow cold bath. I’m sure this might not be suitable for everyone though, and I don’t have adequate medical knowledge to be able to say who it would and wouldn’t be suitable for, so please use common sense before doing this.
Recommended steps for a cold shower:
- You will not be getting dressed in the bathroom, as it’s usually warmer than other rooms. Make sure that your bedroom (or whatever room you get dressed in) and any rooms in between that and your bedroom have the curtains closed and are free of other people you don’t want seeing you naked.
- Run the shower at lukewarm temperature and get in (unless you can tolerate getting straight into cold water, which I can’t).
- Do NOT get your whole body wet. Avoid the shoulders and focus on the lower part of your body.
- Gradually turn the temperature down in increments until it’s as cold as you can bear and you are shivering.
- Get out, but don’t dry off. Wrap a towel loosely around you, just enough to stop you dripping too much, and leave the bathroom as soon as you can.
- If you have one, stand naked in front of a fan while you’re still wet to cool you down further.
The longer you take under the cold water and before drying off, the longer the cooldown will last for, but it’s still only a temporary relief. A cold bath should last longer but is still only temporary. I most often do one of them just before bedtime.
I came up with this method after a few hours in an unheated swimming pool had me shivering in a sweatshirt for the rest of the (very hot) day, which is unheard of for me because I’m rarely cold enough to wear a sweatshirt even in the coldest part of winter. (I really feel the heat!) The trick to staying warm in a cold pool is to get your shoulders wet, so therefore the trick to staying cold is to not get your shoulders wet.