8 Ways You Can Sustainably Beat The Heat In NYC

As we officially enter the month of July, New York City temperatures have already hit the 100 degree mark. Trying to stay cool can seem impossible when faced with numbers that extreme, but I promise you can avoid a sunburn this summer, and even healthily take care of your environment in the process. Here are the best ways to keep yourself, and the planet, cool and cared for.

Carry Your Water Bottle Everywhere

The number one most effective way to stay cool on the go is to carry your favorite water bottle to every single place you go. Avoid waste from buying constant plastic bottles and have a convenient means to refill it and keep it cool and insulated whenever you need. Drinking cold water is the easiest way to stay comfortable in the heat, and make sure you are washing your water bottle as well.

Mind The Clothing You Are Wearing

Eco-friendly fabrics like cotton or linen, which are both biodegradable, are very breathable and comfortable in heat this extreme. Avoid heavy fabrics in your clothes like leather or wool when you choose your outfit for the day and, again, should you notice sun damage or sweat damage in your light-weight summer clothes, most of these fabrics can easily be cleaned and recycled into a new summer shirt. Also, dark colors, especially black, will heat you up faster because they absorb heat quicker than whites and light colors, so keep your clothes bright as well.

Eat Your Fruits And Vegetables

I am never in the mood for hot foods whenever the temperatures reach these heights, so I always find myself craving something fresher like a salad or a smoothie for my lunch and breakfast. Seeking out your favorite fruits and vegetables like watermelon or cucumber this summer is a simple and natural way to earn your calories for the day while also avoiding dehydration. The heat makes me feel nauseous sometimes, so if you keep your diet light, but still delicious, you can feel cool and comfortable eating, even in 100 degrees.

Find Air Conditioning Elsewhere

Air conditions use up a lot of energy and are generally considered to not be very environmentally friendly. They are still very necessary for our well-being in this heat, but you should probably try turning your personal AC off and going out to find one more suited for public use. That way, more people can still benefit from them, but less air conditioners are actually running at once. Try coffee shops, libraries or even movie theaters to soak in AC a little more ethically.

Seek Out Natural Shade

In this same vein, there are still endless benefits to reveling in natural shade and breezes that don’t come from AC. Parks and green spaces still pepper this city so beautifully. You could spend your entire afternoon in Central Park and not even realize you have. If it’s too hot for you to even go that far, look for awnings or other shade around your house or apartment and not even have to leave your space. You could even set up an umbrella wherever you end up.

Hit The Beach Or The Pool

Nobody really thinks of beaches when they think of New York City, but there are places available to you if you are really craving a swim. There are more traditional beaches like Pebble Beach or splash pads like Domino Park, which is in Brooklyn. Also, free, public pools exist here, too, like Gottesman Pool at the Davis Center, which is in Central Park and John Jay Pool, which is on the Upper East Side. Swimming is, of course, great exercise as well and will definitely make you feel better in this heat, but don’t ever forget your sunscreen!

Take Shorter Showers

I am someone who, normally, loves a long, hot, steaming shower to relax at the end of my day. This is no longer desirable for me, or anyone who agrees, in this weather, so in the summer, I have to make a drastic lifestyle change to short, cold showers. Actually, showering this way is both better for you and better for the environment because cold water is much better for your skin and hair development than hot water, and shorter showers, of course, waste less water. I do miss my hot showers sometimes, though, but for the summer, give colder, shorter ones a try.

Run Less Appliances

Running less appliances that rely on heat like the clothes dryer or the oven can also help keep your home or apartment cooler this July. Rely on foods that don’t need cooking, like those vegetables and fruits I mentioned, for your meals, and air dry your clothing. In this weather, they’ll be completely dried in seconds! Also, using less electricity by halting your use of these appliances is great for our planet and helps you reduce your carbon footprint by a huge percentage.

I hope that you take advantage of this list this summer to take the best possible care of yourself and the planet. Stay cool, stay safe but, most importantly, take it all in. We’ll miss the heat by the time fall comes, so soak up that Vitamin D, in moderation, while you still can!