Summer weather is now here. The weather reports on television give us warnings about the heat and how to be careful on hot days. It is very important to be smart and to take care of your body on hot summer days. Please listen very carefully to health experts about how to keep your body cool enough so that you do not get sick and so that you can go to school, study, do your homework, and keep a normal life.

In English we use the word “cool” to talk about two different things. “Cool” can be a kind of temperature. Some things are hot. Some things are warm. Some things are cool, and some things are cold. We can drink cool water and feel a cool wind.

But the other “cool” can mean something like “great style” or “good idea”. For example, you might have cool shoes. Or, maybe your pencil case is cool. You mom has cool sunglasses. Maybe your Math teacher is cool.

When we have very hot days we need to “keep our cool”. We need to be careful not to get too hot, because if we are too hot we can be sick.

We also have to “keep our cool” when we have stress. So this means that you should not get too stressed when you have trouble. If you can keep a cool feeling in your heart and mind, you will be okay.

So, how do we keep this “cool”?

For our bodies we should take care in the heat. We should drink a lot of water. We should close curtains and shutters at home. We should use a fan or maybe an air conditioner. We should not wear tight clothing. We should try to stay near water, like a river or the sea. We should have enough salt so that we keep a good body balance. If we can do these things we can “keep our cool” through the hot summer and enjoy the season.

For our hearts and minds we also need to “keep cool”. How can we do that?

Maybe if you are feeling some kind of stress you should talk to a friend. And if you have some serious trouble you should talk to your teacher and your parents too. That is always the best place to start.

If you are feeling unhappy you might listen to music to help you. Take a short break from your studies and look outside. Nature has great power to keep us calm and to keep the mind cool.

If you are having trouble with friends try to speak to other friends in a gentle way about your trouble. Remember that if you have trouble with friends and school these are very usual things and most people understand your situation.

If you are feeling blue try to watch some comedy to lighten your mind. Take a break and have a small snack. Go for a short walk. Take a nice bath.

Maybe when we think about keeping our cool we also need to understand that summer is only one season of four. Summer can be hot and can make us feel terrible in some ways, but it does not last forever. You might have some trouble in school or with friends but that also will not last forever. The season will continue for a few weeks and then it will pass. The hard times with your stress at school or with friends may last for a short time, but it too will pass away.

The most important thing is that you can decide how to stop the heat. You can decide how to react to your stress and trouble. You can be cool. You can be cool, because you are cool.

This week might be hot and this week might give you some stress, but remember to “keep your cool” as best as you can.