Summer is so busy you sometimes just can’t hear yourself think. Quiet is hard to find, but you have to try. Symptoms happen if you don’t.
People with this kind of body require quiet like a plant needs water. They wilt when it’s too hot, or too busy. Summer plans often mean multi-tasking. This kind of person prefers thinking or doing one thing at a time, doing it very well, then doing the next thing. Trying to do too much at once is stressful for them. Stress makes heat feel worse.
Try keeping as much of a routine as possible. The same meal times. The same bed times. A routine gives much needed structure to their day. It prevents feeling overwhelmed by spontaneous activity if they know exactly what time certain things are going to happen every day. Set boundaries with others about it. Say no if you have to…it’s self-care.
This is a time of family, friends, laughter and playing outside. Remember to have some fun with it while staying cool. Socialize more in the evening than in the sun. Go to a new museum or art gallery. It’s air conditioned and your mind will like the change of pace. Having something new to experience or think about will be fun.
Be smarter on sunny days. Move slower. Wear a hat. Wear sunglasses. Wear lightweight footwear. Drink a lot of water. Try strong mint tea instead of water on hot days. Directions are found under the Common Sense of Smell. Cold mint tea reduces your body temperature.
Other activities to help cool you off would be spending time in shaded nature, walk, don’t run, simplify part of your life, declutter part of your environment, nap when you are tired. Do a hobby or craft that you loved as a child. Have a good time with at least one other person.
Symptoms of being overheated can come from your body, mind or spirit. If you ignore them, they will get worse. If any of the symptoms begin, please begin cooling off: Ringing in your ears, hot flashes, oversensitive vision/hearing, headache above your eyes, lack of sweat or urine, rigidity of joints and muscles, kidney or gall stones, weak digestion, diarrhea, shrinking gums, not sleeping, high blood pressure, opinionated, doubting long held beliefs, feeling isolated, feeling unworthy, working too hard, memory loss.
Cooling foods include: Apples, applesauce, fresh apricots, asparagus, avocados, fresh basil, all beans except kidney beans, beet greens, sweet berries, cooked broccoli, brussel sprouts, cooked carrots, cooked cauliflower, chard, mango chutney, cilantro, coconut oil, fresh corn, cucumber, dandelion greens, dill, dulse, egg white, mild flavored fish, ghee, grapes, grape leaf, leafy greens, green beans, kale, lemon, lemonade with honey or maple syrup, lentils, lettuce, maple syrup, mushrooms
Oats, cooked onions, fresh parsley, parsnip, pear, ripe sweet peppers, fresh plum, pomegranate, saffron, spearmint, sprouts, spaghetti squash summer squash, black or green tea, cold tea (no ice, it stops digestion), fresh tomatoes, watercress, watermelon, wintergreen, zucchini
Warming foods to avoid, or use in balanced moderation if any symptoms are present: Alcohol or wine, banana, barley malt, beef, yeasted bread, carbonated beverages, raw broccoli, burdock root, salted butter, raw carrots, dark meat chicken, coconut meat, dairy (except goat cheese/milk), dates, duck, grapefruit, icy drinks, grapefruit juice, orange juice, kiwi, lamb, lemonade unless sweetened with honey or maple syrup, mayonnaise, melon, cow milkNuts in moderation (no more than a fistful a day, total), raw onions, pickles, pork, psyllium seed, pumpkin, safflower oil, excessive salt, white sugar, sour cream, dark meat turkey, vinegar, walnut oil
