Heatwave: 16 ways to beat the heat

2. Get an air conditioner now. Run it low by combining it with a fan that blows air at you.

3. Place a spray bottle filled with water in the refrigerator. Douse yourself with cool water, if needed.

4. Avoid getting a sunburn and, if necessary, coat yourself with sunscreen. Sunburns raise our body temperature, which we want to avoid at all costs!

5. Slip a mist into your purse to refresh your skin, if needed.

6. Target the cooler rooms in the house. The rooms in the basement or those whose windows are better located are to be preferred.

7. “Fans don’t cool a room; they only serve to make you feel cooler. Place a bowl filled with ice cubes or cold water in front of a fan. Thus, the blown air will be slightly cooled. Also, never use a fan in a very hot room where all the windows are closed. Place it instead in front of the open window to circulate the cooler air from outside, in the evening or during the night, for example,” suggests Norman King, an epidemiologist.

8. Reduce the use of your major electrical appliances. Give your dryer a break by hanging your laundry outside. Do not cook in the oven! At best, use the slow cooker!

9. Pamper your feet. Let them sweat easily by not smothering them in closed shoes. Opt for treatments with refreshing gels for tired feet or heavy legs.

10. Multiply the express showers and dip in the pool to cool off.

11. Warm in the office? There are small fans that plug directly into USB sockets.

12. Dim lights, heat sources or opt for bulbs that produce less heat.

13. Eat smaller meals, more often. Try different kinds of salads, fruit salsa, and amazing gazpachos.

14. Think cold¿ for a placebo effect! It’s time to re-read classics set in Nordic countries or watch The Emperor’s March.

15. Lots of fruit, in all possible forms: fresh, stewed, juice, sorbets, smoothies, etc.

16. Fill a stocking with grains of rice and tie it tightly with a string. Place this rice stocking in the freezer for at least two hours. When it’s time to go to bed, slip this stocking between your sheets and run it over the entire surface of the bed. Rice grains hold the cold well.