Good Heavens No I Am A Computer (Smart)

Dreamer Isioma (they/he; if you've heard the song Sunset Drive that's them! he's made some really good Afrofuturist-inspired stuff like Dumb In Love With You, & they've literally just posted a new visualizer at time of writing this)

Glenn Copeland (he/him; beloved Black trans man elder! he's also going to be starring in a children's TV show, a la Mr. Rogers! if you like more spiritual-influenced music his stuff is REALLY beautiful and gorgeous)

Anjimile (they/them and he/him; EVERYONE SHOULD LISTEN TO ANJIMILE! Like You Really Mean It is a delightful song from his new stuff, Animal is a really really good dark song about the dehumanization of Black people & the whole album its from is amazing).

Malaika Mfalme (they/them; Good Man is from an album dedicated to their deceased partner Yasmin, & if you have Feelings about grief, the song Imagine will hit you like a fucking freight train)

Heat exhaustion is quite literally your body getting too hot and Exhausting itself to cope. Heatstroke is your body Failing To Cope.

Heat Exhaustion signs include:

You get a headache that Will Not Go Away

You feel confused and dizzy (balance who? Idk her)

You don't feel hungry but you feel sick as well (this sucks and happens a lot in high heat so try and snack regularly)

Sweating and clammy skin like the kind that has people go "you're freezing!" because you've sweated so much you literally end up with a chill on your skin

Cramps. Feckin cramps. Arms. Legs. Stomach. They suck ass.

You have a heckin fast pulse or you're hyperventilating like you've just had a Scare

Your body temp is over 38°c (because you're literally boiling like a lobster in a pot)

You are Beyond Thirsty and no matter what you drink it Does Not Abate

If you end up experiencing any of these symptoms, or multiple, and you're in a hot/warm environment, then sit your ass down in the shade, get something to drink, and get a damp cloth on your head or a change of clothes that are cool.

Basically, stop what you're doing and give your body a chance to Not Keep Boiling

Heat exhaustion is NOT THE SAME as a heatstroke.

Heatstroke is So Much Worse™.

Heatstroke signs include:

Still feeling like utter shite 30 minutes after you sat your ass down, rested in a cool place, and rehydrated

Not actually sweating even though you really do feel like a lobster in a pot that has the heat up High

Your body temp is 40°c+ (which is bad btw, that's temp for causing your to pass out etc)

Hyperventilating/fast breathing or actual shortness of breath (I struggle with this because asthma so I'm always like "idk if I got this oops)

Feeling confused but in a like "I don't know what's going on, I can't think, I have no idea about anything, someone help me please I'm crossing into traffic and don't even realise" way

Having a fit/seizure because your body temp is so high your brain is Actually Getting Boiled In Your Skull 🙃 [upside down smiley emoji]

Passing out and not actually responding or waking up from a brief fainting spell (this is the Serious™ kind of passing out that has doctors going "oh shit, we need an IV STAT!" or whatever it is they say when Shit Is Going Down)

Heatstroke can be really dangerous if it isn't treated quickly so please don't ignore these signs. Right now, I'm in a cool environs, with hydration, and am avoiding moving and am gonna have a nap because I'm going very dizzy, can't focus properly, have a headache, and am only coherent here because I'm HyperFocusing on this post. I can't even understand words being said to me right now hence nap, hydration, and cool environs.

Some additional hot weather tips

If you have low blood sugar, but are having a hard time eating because you feel crappy from the heat, try sucking on some hard candy

If possible, after you get out of the sun/heat drink Gatorade or something similar to replenish what you've been loosing from sweating

When drinking water or Gatorade (no matter what you have it is important to stay hydrated!) it is important to drink slowly, even if you are very thirsty, because if you drink too fast the water might come back up

In hot weather, bandanas are very useful, even as a preventative measure, because you can pour some water from you bottle (or anything else) on them, and then put them on your head (as mentioned above) or neck. A few other areas help as well, like armpits, but I would personally recommend your neck.

It is not recommended to use a fan at or above 99°f or 35°c, because they can actually start to make the heat worse. (I know these are different temps, the recommendations come from different governments, 35°c is around 95°f, but this also depends on conditions like humidity, so just use your best judgement with this info)

Most importantly, if you think you are getting heat stroke call 911 or your equivalent, heat stroke kills several people each year, even in my area, where it normally only gets to 100°f for a few days each year

For fahrenheit users,

38°c = 100.4°f

40°c = 104°f

-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)

-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt

-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint

-sees the reports of the heatwave in Europe-

That said, I've been getting a lot of questions from friends asking for advice on dealing with this bullshit, especially if you're somewhere where air-conditioning isn't widely available.

1. Electrolytes. Everyone tells you to hydrate, but if you're sweating balls and flushing yourself out with fluid, you're not just losing water, you're losing salt. You don't need to buy those fancy liquid IV packs if you don't want to; I literally just dump a little pack of salt in my water bottle every now and then because I stole a shit ton of them from my school's café last semester because they were free. This is to keep yourself from passing out. Sports drinks or salty foods work too.

2. Get yourself a fan. Any sort of handheld thing that can blow air on you. Don't use your own hand as a fan because you'll exert more energy than it's worth.

3. If you are immediately feeling hot, you are going to try and get ice, a damp cloth, or something vaguely cool, and you are going to press it to the inside of your wrists, the back of your neck, and behind/under your ears. The veins/arteries are really close to the skin here which I believe is most of why this works so well for cooling you down.

4. Pressure points aside, just pour water on yourself. If you need to regulate your body temp, do so. No one is judging you, I promise.

5. SUNSCREEN PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THE SUN IS A DEADLY LAZY

6. Get yourself a UV / SPF shirt. Something lightweight that will shield you, in a material that will cool you down. You can also get it all the way wet and then wear it, if that's viable for you. You won't be walking around dripping—it'll just cool you down significantly.

7. I've seen some people talk about putting clothes, especially things like socks, underwear, and hijabs into the freezer overnight? Have never done this personally but fair enough. Same principle as above.

8. If you feel yourself getting hot, say something early. Heat stroke is no joke. "A cold baby dies, a hot baby dies" applies to adults too.

9. If it's dry heat, stay in the shade. If it's the humidity getting you, godspeed.

10. Don't open the windows when it's hot. This is a trap. You think the air flow will help. But the air is hot and not your friend. Windows stay closed unless you specifically want the outside air coming in.

And was like, uh, are you missing something there, buddy? Like all that red in northern Africa? Because that's a lot of red.

And I was going to give them the benefit of doubt, since I don't know much about the climate in Northern Africa, aside from Morroco and Egypt, which seem like really hot places, so you know, maybe it's normal there?

But nope, that's not the case:

Some selections from the article:

"The region has been experiencing some of the most intense heat waves in recent years, but in many cases they’ve been under-reported due to misconceptions about Africans’ ability to withstand them.

“Africa is seen as a sunny and hot continent,” said Amadou Thierno Gaye, a research scientist and professor at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. “People think we are used to heat, but we are having high temperatures for a longer duration. Nobody is used to this.”

Marceline

I am the best person

I am the best at being a person

I am unkillable

I am good at everything

I am protected by divine forces and I am their favorite