How To Keep Cool without Air Conditioning

A fun day at the beach is nice and all but when you are home you would like to live like an Eskimo in the middle of a bikini competition. If it is hot outside, nothing beats the cool artificial air that a ten horsepower air conditioner can bring. But, wait!!! The unthinkable happened. The A/C is broken and you just can't get it fixed. On top of that, either there is nobody within a thousand miles who can fix the old clunker or worse, you just don't have the money to get it fixed.

What are you going to do? You could live miserably in 100 degree weather or you could try these simple steps to keep cool without an air conditioner. Try them out; what do you have to lose except the sweat off of your brow?

1. It's easy-breezy...  Open up the window and let the breeze in. This helps the air circulate around the house, making the temperature lower.  You can fill a cup to the brim with water and ice. As the ice in the air melts it releases cold air into the environment and cools it off.

   To make your place cool off more effectively, put a fan by the window to push out any excessive hot air.  Also, if you live in a two story house or a house with a basement, go down. The air underneath is much, much cooler because it is insulated by the top level.

2. Your body is your temple, keep it cool. Don't try making a fan out of paper and flapping it around, it doesn't work. In fact the heat produced by your body actually makes you feel hotter. Try to meditate. Meditation lowers your metabolism and slows down your breathing. This should effectively cool your body.
3. Choose your food wisely.  Eat something that doesn't require heat to prepare. Eat a salad or a sandwich instead. You can also eat something spicy. Spice helps you sweat and sweat cools down your body by dispersing body heat through the air. Lastly drink lots and lots of water. Do this even when you are not thirsty.
4. Clothes make the man... cooler. Or it may be the lack of it. Walk around in your underwear or swimsuit while in the house.  You won't believe how much of a liberating experience that is.

   If you plan to go outside I wouldn't recommend walking out in your underwear, through. Instead wear natural fabric like cotton. These materials breathe and are effective to keep you cool while still being decent. Wear something with long sleeves and white or bright in color to cover up your skin from the sun.  Clothing that covers your skin makes sure your body doesn't absorb excessive heat from the sun. Wear a wide brimmed hat. That helps, too. As long as you don't mind looking like you just came back from your vacation in Cancun.

5. When all else fails, evacuate!  When you've done all you can, the all you can do is find a place that offers sweet, sweet air conditioning. Go to the mall or the library, or a theater - they usually have their A/C turned on.

   This is especially true for people who are susceptible to the heat, like babies, pregnant women and the elderly.  Take care to make sure body temperatures don't reach 104 Fahrenheit, or else postpone your mall trip and go directly to the hospital.  Temperatures of 113 Fahrenheit and above in your house can lead to sure death.

These are just a few of the simple steps to keep cool without an air conditioner.  I hope you read this carefully because these step can be the difference between life and death in the middle of a heat-wave.  Who knows?  At the end of all this you might just embrace life without your air conditioner and do your part to lessen global warming, but I seriously doubt it.