You know you’re drinking enough fluids if you don’t feel thirsty and your urine is colorless or very light yellow. If you’re moving around outdoors and sweating a lot, supplement your water intake with a sports drink with electrolytes. This can help replace the minerals in your blood that are lost through sweat. Drinking lots of water also helps you keep your body temperature down, which keeps you more comfortable overall.

For dessert, indulge in sweet treats like popsicles and ice cream. For a healthier alternative, go with fresh fruit, plain or paired with yogurt.

You can also use ice packs or cool, wet towels for more sustained relief.

For added relief, dampen a sheet or towel in cool water and use it as a blanket. Lay it on top of a dry towel so you don’t soak the mattress.

Starting with light outdoor exercise, like a brisk walk or yard work. Increase the time and then the intensity every day. Turning down your air conditioner by 1-2 degrees every day. Aim to be comfortable when it’s more than 10 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. Continue drinking plenty of water and make sure not to go past your physical limits. If you feel yourself breathing heavier than you should or getting light-headed, stop exercising and sit down out of the heat.

For heat exhaustion: cool, moist skin with goosebumps when you’re in the heat; heavy sweating; feeling faint, dizzy, or fatigued; weak, rapid pulse; low blood pressure when you stand; muscle cramps; headache; and nausea. For heatstroke: body temperature above 104 °F (40 °C); altered behavior or mental state, like confusion, slurred speech, irritability, or delirium; nausea or vomiting; flushed skin; rapid breathing; high heart rate; and headache. [9] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source If you start experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion, lay down in the shade and elevate your legs. Drink cool water and drop your body temperature with a damp cloth and a fan. For heatstroke, immerse yourself in a cold bath or pack ice and cooling blankets around yourself. If symptoms for either condition don’t improve within half an hour, call emergency services.

Set your AC to 78 °F (26 °C) when you’re at home and awake. Go to 85 °F (29 °C) when you’re away from home or at work. Set it to 82 °F (28 °C) for sleep.

Turn ceiling fans to counter-clockwise. This creates a cooling, wind-chill effect when you’re standing right beneath the fan. [12] X Trustworthy Source Energy Star Program run by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy focused on educating consumers about energy efficiency Go to source Place a box fan or a small fan behind a bowl filled with ice or an ice pack, so that the fan blows the cool air around the ice into the room. Point fans at yourself when you’re sitting or sleeping so that the warm, stagnant air doesn’t make you sweat.

Keep your blinds closed as well to prevent sunshine from heating up your house. If you’re worried about your house getting stuffy, using fans will help to keep air moving. If the heat and humidity drop at night, you can crack the windows a bit before going to bed. Remember to close them in the morning before it gets hot and muggy. [13] X Expert Source Victor BelavusAir Conditioning Specialist Expert Interview. 6 May 2020.

Follow general guidelines to keeping cool, like wearing sun protection and light, loose clothing. To cool yourself down when you’re outside, take a break and splash cold water on your skin.

Humid heat can cause you to sweat, so make sure to wear a waterproof and sweat proof brand and reapply every hour or so. Apply lip balm with an SPF as well.

If exercise is unavoidable, make sure to stop frequently to drink water and rest out of the sun. Watch carefully for any signs of heat exhaustion.

These are especially great activities if you’re trying to entertain kids while keeping them—and yourself—cool.