What to Do at Home When It's Too Hot Outside

The thermometer is soaring, the shutters are closed, and the fan is running nonstop. There’s no doubt about it—the heatwave is here, sapping our energy and clouding our minds. But what can you do when it’s too hot at home? When the heat leaves you feeling sluggish, there’s only one option: cool off and take it easy! Forget about screens—they're the last thing you need when it's sweltering outside.—and check out these 6 relaxing ideas to keep you occupied at home when temperatures rise.

Why Does the Heat Make Us So Tired?

Do you feel irritable or suddenly unable to solve a fourth-grade math problem? When your temperature rises, your body works hard to keep it around 37 °C: you sweat more, your blood vessels dilate, and your heart may beat up to 30% faster to dissipate heat. Naturally, that drains all our energy!

Our brains also get a bit overheated, and our cognitive abilities slow down. This is especially true when nights remain hot: a Harvard study shows a 13% increase in reaction time among students who sleep in rooms without air conditioning (average temperature of 26.3 °C).

So, if you’ve slept for 12 hours and you’re still tired, blame it on the heatwave. And if you start talking to your fan or try to curl up inside your fridge, yes, that’s the heatwave’s fault, too.

How to Cool Down at Home During a Heatwave

First and foremost, minimize unnecessary heat sources and turn off your screens. When temperatures soar, they don’t really help. Next, here’s an heatwave survival kit to help you cool off at home:

• A makeshift air conditioner: Place a bottle of ice-cold water or a cold pack right in front of your fan. It won't turn your living room into the Arctic, but it’s cheaper than an air conditioner.
  
  
• The secret combo: Dip your feet in a basin of cool water (with ice cubes) while sipping a cold herbal tea (without ice cubes).
  
  
• Dress code: Opt for loose-fitting, lightweight cotton or linen clothing… or simply keep clothing to a minimum (we won’t judge anyone—and besides, the shutters are closed).

Finally, we move as little as possible, with gentle activities that give us a chance to take a breather. At Jour Férié, taking your time has never been a sign of laziness, but right now, even your body is telling you to do just that.

👉 Related Reading: What to Do When You're Bored?

6 Relaxing Activities to Do When It’s Too Hot

1. Whip Up Refreshing, No-Cook Meals

To avoid sweating in the kitchen and keep your home cool, stay away from the oven and stovetop! Now is the perfect time to rediscover the joys of fresh, colorful cooking. Try some creative salads that combine sweet and savory flavors (watermelon, feta, mint, and black olives—a refreshing treat), blend up a spicy gazpacho, or make ceviche or a cold soup.

It’s also a great opportunity to try your hand at no-bake desserts, such as a lime cheesecake, a refreshing tiramisu, or a light mousse. And why not try homemade ice cream or rosemary-infused lemonade?

2. Unplug and Unwind with a Jigsaw Puzzle

Doing a jigsaw puzzle is like treating yourself to a true escape, far from screens that strain your eyes. There it is—the ultimate slow activity! You spread the pieces out on the table, sort the colors at your own pace, and let yourself be captivated by the illustration that comes to life under your fingers. It may be scorching outside, but our heart rate slows down in the blink of an eye.

👉 Related Reading: Games to Play as a Family at Home

3. Do Some Gentle, Low-Energy Tidying

No, this isn’t about diving into a major spring cleaning project in the heat of summer. We’ll tidy up, but without wearing ourselves out: we’ll take it one step at a time, the minimalist way. Choose just one shelf in your bookcase to reorganize, an overflowing drawer, or your summer closet. Let’s make a little space in the house… and in our minds, too!

4. Let Your Creativity Flow

A spell of hot weather offers a luxury that has become rare: time. So why not take advantage of it to be creative? When the outside world slows down, the imagination can finally run wild. Whether it’s drawing, painting with watercolors, writing down thoughts, embroidering, or simply coloring, creative activities have the power to absorb us and help us slow down.

5. Escape Through Reading or Audiobooks

Since we’ve put our screens on hold for the summer, what should we replace them with? The time spent in front of a screen in a single day (3 hours and 21 minutes) is almost equal to the time spent reading… over an entire week (3 hours and 40 minutes). That’s according to the French National Book Center’s 2025 Barometer. Why not take advantage of the warm weather to rebalance that ratio a little?

A few chapters of a novel or an audiobook listened to with your eyes closed can transport you far away from the heat. So settle into the coolest spot in the house (no, not the fridge) and let the pages—or the voices—do the rest. The only risk is that you’ll forget it’s 35 °C…

6. Master the Fine Art of the Siesta

Since the heat is keeping you up at night, make sure to recharge during the day! Get comfortable in your lightest linen clothes, close your eyes, and treat yourself to a real break for about twenty minutes. A summer nap isn’t a luxury—it’s a tradition. And it’s exactly what our bodies need.

If anyone calls you lazy, just tell them you're practising the art of surviving a heatwave. It might just become one of the most valuable skills of the future.