"Frozen grapes are the bomb..." - Struggling to cope with the heat? Here's some help...

3 minute read time.

 "Coping with heat..." written in white next to a picture of a melting ice cream cone with a chocolate flake

So, I think everyone’s aware it’s a little hot here in the UK right now – temperatures in are expected to reach 38 degrees in eastern England tomorrow…38! I thought I’d go ahead and ask our Support Line Service teams here in West Yorkshire to share with you, our Community, their tips on staying cool and coping with the heat… 

“I put my pillow cases in the freezer a few hours before I go to bed. Keeps my sweaty head nice and cool at bedtime haha!” 

Megan

“Before bed shower and use the mint shower gel, helps you keep cool. Wear nightwear if you don’t normally, as this helps regulate your body temperature.” 

Anita

“Tips I do to try stay cool:

  • Keep all blinds and curtains closed at home during the day (they do it abroad to keep the sun out).
  • Use cotton bed sheets.
  • Fill a hot water bottle with cold water instead.
  • Use an icepack and put it on your feet (cooling the feet cools the body), or put your feet in bowl of cold water.*
  • A hot cup of tea – it tricks the body in to thinking it needs to cool down further.” 

Amy

“Well I’ve just been out and bought a fan for tonight to help sleep! Also think it helps to open windows but keep all blinds/curtains shut all day to keep the sunlight out. I also put full water bottles in the freezer and let them defrost to drink so the water stays really cold! Pretty basic stuff but with a big fluffy dog I have to keep everything as cool as possible!” 

Rebecca

“If you have a fan- a good tip is to place a bowl of ice in front of it. The fan spreads around the cooled air.” 

Polly

"'Chillows' are a thing - it's a cooling pad to help you sleep at night!"

Rachel

“…one that many won’t think about, is making sure your sodium levels are up. So, you could add salt (in moderation of course) to a meal to help with this and or add things to sandwiches/salads such as fresh olives etc. Then all the usual things like wearing a hat, drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding caffeine based drinks like coffee etc.” 

Paul

“Drink cold water, low-sugar juices, or sports drinks, or eat popsicles or frozen juice pops to quench your thirst and cool down.”

Ellen

“Wear breathable fabrics that allow sweat to evaporate. If you have lost your hair because of chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment, think about wearing a cotton head scarf or turban rather than a wig.” 

Jimmy

“Lisa shared her cooling spray with us – it was fab and cooled us all down!” 

Ghazala

“Lisa’s just gone to Home Bargains over lunchtime to buy their entire supply of cooling spray for our team. I’d recommend that.”

Sian

“Get some green grapes, put them in the freezer and voila! Frozen grapes are the bomb – my gramps used to have them as he was on dialysis for four hours every day and he wasn’t allowed to drink anything, so the frozen grapes kept him cool and hydrated! Super grape (great, see what I did there?) – I swear by them!” 

Ellen

“Try having a shower or a bath before bed; it both relaxes you, and our body temperature tends to drop after a warm shower or bath – this induces better sleep.” 

Jimmy

Do you have any tips on staying cool and coping with the heat? Go ahead and share them with us using the comments section below.

It’s also worth taking a look at the relevant NHS and BBC website pages, which offer further tips on coping.

Anonymous
  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Check you pee!

    If your pee is:-

    Faintly yellow your hydration levels are okay

    Medium to Dark yellow you need to increase your hydration immediately.

    Check after every pee and anytime it looks dark grab some water and have a drink. (Water, diluted fruit drinks OK alcohol, fizzy drinks or caffeine drinks No)

    Think one out one in and stay hydrated