Most people take a shower each day, but having more than one in the warmer months can cool you down even more.

A shower before bed will cool you down so that when you get into bed, your body temperature won’t automatically heat the sheets up. This means you’ll be cooler for longer while you sleep.

A shower after getting out of bed will remove any built up sweat and cool you down after your body has warmed up your bed and raised your body temperature.

For best results, make sure you have either a warm, tepid or cool shower. Wearing the minimum amount of clothing, and not drying your body too thoroughly after the shower will also help you maintain a lower body temperature.

You spend up to a third of your life in bed – so it’s important that you’re comfortable there and not too hot or cold.

Once warmer weather hits it’s a good idea to strip your bed and remake it with the minimum of cool accessories.

You can make the bed with two sheets and two pillows and you may not need anything else.

Even having a doona or blanket at the base of the bed can trap hot air and over heat you, so remove all the blankets and stick to just the bare cool basics.

Try and use thin cotton fabrics and sheets in your sleeping area, and avoid silks and wools.

Heat can come down through the chimney flue, subtly raising the temperature in your home.

To avoid this, consider closing off your chimney as the summer months begin. You can do this via the roof, or where the chimney enters the fireplace.

If you have a metal flue that gets quite warm to the touch due to the outside heat and sunshine, consider wrapping the inside portion in some type of protection material to insulate the heat.

Just make sure you clean out the fireplace first – it’ll be easier and less messy when you open it back up in the winter months.

If you can’t get out of the house, you can at least stay in the coolest room. And coolest room is usually the bathroom.

Bathrooms usually have a lot of cool, light colored surfaces. These surfaces cool the room down.

You don’t need to have a bath or shower to stay cool there – you can use them for something completely different.

Try putting some pillows and a doona in the bottom of the bath tub as padding, then use it as a comfortable seat to read a book or use your laptop. Just make sure you don’t have a dripping tap!

If you want some more room without the hardness of a tile floor and have the room, place a small roll out mattress on the floor.

Your feet are often ignored but they are still an important part of your body – especially when it comes to temperature.

Wearing big, heavy and thickly padded shoes on your feet can often increase your overall body temperature.

So during hot weather it’s a good idea to wear light sandals, flip flops or just go barefoot.

If you need to work in a place without too stricter regulations on footwear, try and pick shoes that encase your foot but don’t cover the top of it – so your toes will be protected but you’ll still stay cool.

Avoid stockings and tights when possible, for the same reason. These can also restrict your blood flow, which can also raise your temperature.

For something a little different that isn’t too sugary and sweet, this is a great idea for a fun treat.

Simply take a scoop out of your favourite fruit – some good ideas include melons such as rockmelon or honeydew, or for smaller portions and snacks, peaches or strawberries.

Fill the scooped out area with your choice of ice cream, cover with the scooped fruit or add it on the side, and serve.

You can also place the fruit back in the freezer for a short time so both ice cream and fruit get cold and freeze together.

Even the right diet can keep you a little cooler during the hot summer months – so treating yourself to something rich and exotic may not be the answer to avoiding the heat.

When your body isn’t working hard to digest food or look after itself in other ways, it isn’t outputting excess energy that may overheat you.

Avoid foods that are feel as if they sit in your stomach for long hours, including meat and over processed or oily foods.

Some of the foods you should eat to aid digestion include starches such as potato, bread and rice.  Non acidic fruit such as banana, watermelon, grapes, pears and plums are also easily digested.

It’s important to choose the right clothing to avoid overheating during the hotter parts of the year.

Cotton is a plant fibre that helps reduce your temperature and keeps you cool, while still protecting your skin from burning in the sun.

Cotton allows your skin to breathe and doesn’t contain the hot air close to your body, instead allowing the cool breeze through.

Materials like silk maintain your body heat instead of allowing it to escape, and can make you feel sticky and hot. The natural fibres of cotton also work better with your body that man made fibres such as polyester.

There’s nothing quite as nice as relaxing in a bath tub full of hot water. But during a heatwave, that can be a little too hot. So why not fill up your bath with cool or tepid water instead?

If you don’t have the energy to go to the pool, or simply want to avoid the crowds, a cool bath is the answer.

Lay back and relax – read your favorite book, bring in a tray of snacks and a cool drink, or even sit the portable TV up in front of the bath (just keep it well back from the water.)

You can relax, enjoy yourself and stay cool all at once. And if you really feel lazy taking a long soak, bring the scrubbing brush in with you and give the bath a clean before you get out.

It’s important to get at least a little bit of exercise to keep your body fit and healthy. But during the hot summer months it can be difficult to get motivated when your body feels drained by the heat.

Indoor ten pin bowling is a great way to get some exercise while still staying relatively cool.

Many bowling alleys also have other features including food, gaming centres, music, televisions, lounges and more.

If you want the place to yourself and want to avoid the worst heat, consider visiting during the mornings or during the middle of the day when people aren’t out. Or book ahead if you know the bowling alley is going to be busy.