How to survive an infernal summer

Where I live, this summer has been hot as hell. Seriously. I thought the summer of 2018 was hot. (But then again, I spent it in jeans and jumpers, sweating away putting together IKEA furniture in my new office, so the joke's on me.) This summer, though, seems to have been even hotter.

While I usually suffer from the heat quite a lot, I haven't had much to complain about lately, even though the temperature has been high enough to cause existential anxiety. You see, for once in my life, I have been smart. And being smart has made summertime a good season - for the first time in what seems like forever.

Here are the smart decisions I've made that have made this the best summer ever:

Being inside all day in cool temperature. This has made the biggest difference! Whenever I'm indoors - which is all day - I have the air conditioning on, or at least a fan blowing my way.
Taking regular cold showers. Whenever I'm at home, I take cold showers as needed. Standing in front of the fan afterwards also helps.
Drinking cold water. I fill a glass with ice and pour carbonated water on top. I even throw a lime wedge and a frozen raspberry in there. It looks nice, it tastes nice, and the cold sensation is super refreshing.
Road trips with the AC on. I have no idea how someone could stand being inside a car in this weather without an AC system. Knowing how amazing it is to drive around with cold air blowing on my face, I don't think I could ever go back to driving a car that didn't have this opportunity.
Going outside only when it's late and cool, aka evening strolls. At 11 pm, it's already darker and cooler and there's a sense of autumn in the air. (Or maybe it's in my head.) This routine gives hope of the upcoming colder season.
Reminding myself that the hotter the summer, the better autumn will feel like. This is a handy mindset to have: that the more I suffer in summer, the more amazing and nostalgic autumn and its weather will feel, and I'll appreciate every cold day more.

With these smart decisions, I've managed to forget the heat and get work done.

And just like that, summer's half done.