10 ways to get in the mood when it's too damn hot!

Let’s face it, no matter how much you might love the summer heat, and no matter how high your sex drive is, when it's too hot and/or humid outside, it can be kinda challenging to get in the mood, can't it? And climate change doesn’t help, does it?

But despair not, because there are some very smart ways of setting the mood and enhancing intimacy with your partner—y’know, so you can turn up the heat, in spite of the heat. 

If you're in the hot seat but want nothing more than to want to get it on, consider the following 10 cool tips for gettin’ freaky-deaky, weather aside.

1. Take a cool shower together.

Even your brain feels like it’s sweating, and you might actually be melting. Start by taking a refreshingly cool—or downright cold—shower together to cool yourselves down and create a more sensual atmosphere, y’know, one in which heating up again isn’t unthinkable. The cool water will help lower your body temperature and awaken your senses to the moment.

2. Experiment with temperature play.

Incorporate ice cubes or other cold objects into your foreplay. How? Gently glide ice cubes over your partner's body. Of course you’ll want to put a towel down so your bed doesn’t get wet. Or, you might exchange sensual massages using a nice, cooling lotion or oil to enhance relaxation, and desire. You might also explore temperature play more deeply by using cold and hot sensations to heighten pleasure. Alternating between ice and warm breath, for instance, can offer an added layer of excitement, while keeping excessive heat at bay.

3. Set up a fan or air conditioning.

Maybe it goes without saying, but creating a cool and comfortable environment in your bedroom using fans or air conditioning is a baseline must. While some of us are anti air conditioning, fans really can make a difference too! If it's not already too humid, consider investing in a portable misting fan that sprays a fine mist of water along with its refreshing breeze.

4. Get busy during cooler times of day.

During intense heat waves, getting it on in the early morning or late evening can be a great way to circumvent the heat and get yours. This way, the temperature is more comfortable—or even cool—and you can enjoy each other's company without the oppressive, excessive weight of heat hanging over you.

5. Explore different locations.

If your bedroom is badly insulated and happens to be the stuffiest room in your home, consider exploring other rooms that may be cooler, like your air conditioned living room, your breezy kitchen (it has a table, right?), your shower, your sheltered balcony, or your private backyard at night.

6. Experiment with light touch.

To avoid generating excess body heat, opt for gentle, light touch during foreplay rather than full-on skin-to-skin touch (there’s a time and a place!). A gentle graze of the finger, a light kiss, a feather across the back—feel very free to get creative. It is an art, after all.

7. Try out cold or frozen treats.

Who says you need to keep sex separate from food? While exposing your genitals to sweet treats is always a bad idea unless you want a yeast infection, your foreplay should 100% include playfully feeding each other cold or frozen treats like ice cream, fruit popsicles, or chilled grapes. Delicious, cooling, and intimate to boot. While you’re at it, some foods, while not necessarily cooling, are known aphrodisiacs, and may help you to transcend the heat.

8. Use breathable bedding. 

Always looking for a cool spot on the pillow? Maybe you haven’t considered your bedding. Switching to lightweight, breathable sheets made with cotton, linen, or bamboo allows for better airflow, and can go a long way toward helping to regulate your body temperature in the heat of passionate heavy petting, nam sayin’?

9. Go waterside.

If you have a pool, take advantage of it for some sensual splashing, underwater groping, or straight-up poolside sex. No matter how hot it is, you can rest easy knowing the pool is right there. And if you’re happy with your pool hygiene and wanna give pool sex a whirl, get it. Otherwise, you might consider beach sex—with certain key precautions.

10. Try out new positions.

When it’s hotter than Hades, exploring sexual positions that allow for minimal body contact (and therefore less heat build-up) may be the way to go. Positions like doggy style, side-by-side, or seated positions may or may not be more comfortable than missionary. You might also focus on oral sex as a way to connect without any intense bodily overlap going on.

Bottom line: everyone’s preferences, comfort levels, and tolerance to heat can vary, so regardless of the weather outside or the overall mood, be sure to communicate with your partner and find what works best for both of you. And most of all, enjoy one another. After all, summer is hawt.