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Put a block of ice behind your fan. The fan will blow the icy air toward you. Make sure to put it back into the freezer quickly to keep humidity down.

If you live in a humid area (such as Ireland), get a dehumidifier. The natural cooling process for the body is sweating out the heat, and that sweat being evaporated into the air. If the air around you is already full of water, it can't pick up your sweat, so you can't cool down. Being overheated in a humid area will boil you alive. Eliminating moisture from the air will give you the marginal relief of being able to sweat, and circulation doesn't need to be on at all hours like an AC or fan does. Run your dehumidifier (and circulation fans if you can manage) overnight and turn them off in the morning. ALWAYS run a fan when cooking or showering no matter what. Keep that moisture as low as possible, it is literally blocking your temperature regulation!

Since the air isn't taking your sweat away in the humidity, get a microfibre towel to manually remove the sweat from your body. Wear clothes that don't keep moisture but give you easy access to your skin. Back away from the denim. Always have at least a towelette on hand to help your body get rid of all that excess juice, and another to give aide to your fellow poor bastards.

If you live in an arid area, you need to be hydrated constantly. You should also collect all waste-water (from showering, washing hands, rinsing dishes) and spread it on the pavement around your home in the morning. It will help the pavement "sweat" out the heat and control the dust layer. Don't let a single drop of anything go down the drain unless it's got chemicals in it, it can be used to cool/replenish something somewhere else. Water your grass, cool your pavement, quench metal, nothing is wasted!

You are at your most helpless and prone to sickness when you're sleeping. Take a freezing shower right before you tuck in to lower your temperature in preparation for the night ahead.

No blankets. Don't even put them on the bed. Use a thin sheet to cover yourself if you need covering, maybe a little thicker if the temperature plummets at night, but be very careful. I liked sleeping on a microfibre towel so I didn't have to run the washing machine as often.

Don't let any heat in your windows. The cheapest method to create insulated windows I find is to literally tape aluminum foil or white cardstock (or aluminum foil ON white cardstock) to the glass. White paper also works in a pinch if you put something behind it to catch the light that seeps through. You can also buy a roll of window insulation, which is more costly but is still cheaper than blackout curtains. Reflect everything!! This is the #1 first thing we did every single summer and probably the most important thing to do to keep your home livable.

This goes for your car too. Reflective window cover or your stash of aluminum cards taped together, do anything to keep the sun out. A car that's left directly in the sun can get so hot you have to wait outside while the AC runs.

If you live in an arid area, keeping out of direct sunlight helps a lot. 40 degrees in the shade can put you in the hospital, 40 degrees in the sun can kill you. Bring an opaque umbrella with you. Don't be afraid to throw a sheet or light-coloured shower curtain on it to make it reflect the heat if you think you'll be walking for a while, just roll it up and stash it in your purse. Having a makeshift tent readily available in your bag can save your life if you need a break but there's no cover nearby.

If you live in an arid area, keep your sweating aggressive by eating spicy food. This will help you cool down if you're severely overheated but the room isn't hot. Remember to keep hydrated while you're doing this, you're squeezing out all your water on purpose. This is a good technique if you're moving from severe heat outside to a tepid room temperature that isn't cool enough to bring you down.

If you want to enjoy your porch, cover it with tarp or sheets so it doesn't absorb so much heat over the day, which will help it cool overnight.