This is how you do a cooldown
(and it has nothing to do with sports)
On Monday, I was chilling with my butt on a boat and around thirty Celsius is huge here-I-can-get-used-to-this. Do you lean towards warm? Then you jump off from the back of the boat. Are you a bit thirsty? Then you take an ice-cold can of white beer that opens with a satisfying psssshh. Is the sun a bit prickly? Then you spray a puff of Lancaster from that orange bottle. That works. But at the office, there's nothing to jump into and opening that golden can around ten o'clock... May wouldn't mind, but you'll end up typing all mixed up.
So we cool ourselves down with loose leaves and knock back cans of Perrier. No worries, that's sans alcohol. I twist my hair around my overheated head every second to fan some coolness onto my neck. And even Simoon looks a bit slower than usual. Therefore, for you (and a little bit for myself), here are the tips for a cooldown at the office.
1. Water, anyone?
Hydrate yourself silly. That water bottle is an extension of your arm. Wherever you go, your bottle goes. And then the trick is not to drink that water too cold, because that will only make you warmer. Kiki, take it out of the freezer again.
2. Check your pulse
Are you overheating? Let me describe how to check that. A bead of sweat in your knee pit, your dress unpleasantly sticking to the chair, a slightly redder and more flushed complexion than usual... Hot alert: you are warmed up. Hold your wrists under the cold tap for a while, it really helps.
3. I see your fan, alligator
It might not get cooler with that old-school fan on the desk, but it moves air and that's cool in itself. It creates the illusion and that's win-win on sweaty days. Do you have the luxury of enjoying air conditioning? Then you are a blessed person.
4. Switch off
Keep the lights off and make sure to turn off the devices that generate heat. A hundred computers or Macs in a square meter radiate heat. One plus one is two; warmer, therefore.
5. Take a foot bath
Oh, I want this so badly right now. Just putting my feet in a bath of cold water, throw in a bag of ice cubes for my part and hop. In the absence of an inflatable pool in the garden, this is a great option.
6. Take off your shoes
You lose heat through your head and feet, and these are the places to start cooling down. Twist those long locks into a bun and kick those shoes into a corner. Or outside, because that odor from your footwear must be environmentally friendly. An even tighter plan: the sandal, of course. Look, here maar even.
7. Keep it cool
Yes, easier said than done, huh? But if you’re getting all worked up about the temperature going through the roof, you’ll get even warmer. So stay cool with those degrees Celsius and remain calm.
8. Get some fresh air
If you even get the idea that the breeze outside is cooler than inside, take a break now and then to stand in a corner for a few minutes. You don’t even have to do naughty things there.
9. Eat ice cream
Lianne is a great heroine behind the Amayzine screens. And when we thought we would evaporate, she came with a bulk pack of pear ice pops. Really a threefold hooray, I’m almost cold again.
No further bad words about that temperature, because when I get into the little car and head towards the terrace, I’m a satisfied person.
