Feeling the heat lately? The whole country is sweltering, and it looks like the warm and dry season has just begun. “Recent observations from several PAGASA stations showed a gradual increase in daily temperature over most parts of the country,” the weather administration said in a statement released last March 23, 2021. Heat indexes are in the 37-40°C range, which we can only refer to as hellish. It’s no wonder we’ve had to take multiple showers lately—summer is truly here, and with nowhere to go thanks to the pandemic, we’re all feeling the sun’s relentless rays in our living rooms and home workstations. Here are some ways you can survive this intensely hot summer.

First things first—protection.

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A post shared by Belo SunExpert (@belosunexpert)

This is why Dr. Vicki Belo wants you to wear sunscreen every day, even indoors. UV damage can seep through windows and open spaces and still damage your skin, so no, it doesn’t take a beach trip to say the sun got the best of you. Working with screens and cooking is also a form of UV exposure. 

Now, on to the heat!

Change your shower times.

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Either you showered in the morning after waking up, or at night before going to bed. Try rescheduling one of those showers to the middle of the day, when you need that blast of cold water the most.

Install blackout blinds or curtains in sun-heavy areas.

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Blackout blinds and curtains are also great for blocking light that can disrupt your sleep at night, so really, it’s an investment you can take advantage of 24/7, summer after summer.

Treat yourself to some *aircon time* in the middle of the day.

We can’t exactly leave the AC running all day and night (bad for the environment, bad for our electric bill), but what we can do is treat ourselves to one to two hours of cold aircon goodness during the hottest hours of the afternoon (1-3 PM is best). Set a timer, take a nap, or just put some Netflix on while you work. I feel cold just thinking about it.

Start investing in more daytime-friendly pajamas.

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A post shared by SLeepy (@sleepyph_)

Because let’s be honest—working from home means pajamas or loungewear all day. Period, no printer, just fax. Click on the IG post above for some luxurious charmeuse silk pajamas that are roomy and airy enough to wear long after breakfast.

Prepare some sweet (and ice-cold) midday treats.

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A post shared by Belo Nutraceuticals (@belonutra)

A great way to fight both the heat and the collagen-damaging UV exposure that comes with it? A super-cold collagen drink. Click on the post above to see how you can mix Belo Nutraceuticals Collagen Powder Drink into this strawberry milk treat. And check out @belonutra on IG to find out how you can mix it into literally any juice drink, shake, cocktail, or smoothie of your choice.

Be more disciplined about your water intake.

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If you’re only drinking water during mealtimes (or in the form of coffee—there’s water in that, right?), then you need to step it up. You’re sweating more this summer, which means you need to make up for lost water. If you have an insulated water bottle or jug at home, keep track of the times you need to fill it up throughout the day. For instance, a 20-oz Klean Kanteen needs to be filled up four times for you to say you drank 2.4 liters of water that day. (If you want to increase the health benefits of your H20, try the Belo Hydro 2.0, a portable glass bottle that gives you hydrogen-rich water on demand.)

Any other tips you’d like to share with the (online) class? Tag us @belobeauty on IG or @belo_beauty on TikTok!