Hey y’all! We sprung forward! Are you feeling the effects of Daylight Savings time? If you are, I’ve been there. That’s why over the years I’ve made an effort to set myself up for success when the inevitable time change comes. Here are some surefire ways to get through the rest of the week and not be too affected by Daylight Savings Time.
Don’t take a nap
I’m usually a pro-nap kind of gal, but not immediately following Daylight Savings. It’s hard, I know, but avoid throwing off your sleep schedule too much with a nap. All that will do is disrupt your circadian rhythm even more than the time change alone.
I don’t know about you, but whenever I nap, I tend to stay up later than usual…which then makes waking up at my normal time more difficult. I’m more likely to snooze and end up rushing through my morning routine and feeling frazzled or less focused through the rest of the day.
Instead of snoozing, get moving! Do some gentle morning stretches and get out of bed when that alarm goes off. Drink that glass of water by your bed and get in the shower. Think of it this way: you can spend the extra 10 minutes you would’ve spent laying in bed just waiting for that snoozed alarm to go off waking up in the shower. If you’re working from home, check out my list of hacks to keep you focused.
Stay active and hydrated
Keeping your energy up is important and there’s no better way to do that than with exercise. It doesn’t have to be CrossFit or a HITT routine if that’s not your style. Go for a walk at lunch, or right when you get home from work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Check out a spin or yoga or dance fitness class. There are lots of ways to incorporate movement!
Whatever it is, make sure you’re drinking lots of water. Staying active and hydrated are both general life tips for keeping our energy up (not to mention keeping us healthy), but they come in extra handy following Daylight Savings Time. Finding it tough to get an adequate amount of water during the day? Invest in a water bottle you love! There are even some bottles that have lines for the time of day to help keep you on track with your hydration. Your body (and skin) will thank you.
Watch what time you’re eating and cut your alcohol consumption
This one goes hand in hand with the tip above. Our hunger cues likely won’t spring forward an hour just because our clocks did, but we can make every effort to eat our meals at our usual time. Maybe that means cooking lighter dishes for a week, or sticking to a small glass of wine while we adjust. Our bodies are already dealing with losing an hour, so let’s not compromise our sleep with too much alcohol or too much food so close to bedtime.
Do some Spring Cleaning
As the weather starts to warm up, take the opportunity to shake off the winter and embrace the freshness of spring! Give your home a deep clean, rotate your wardrobe to your spring items, or add some spring blooms to your desk, kitchen counter, and entryway. After the dead of winter, I like setting aside some time to refresh my space, especially as someone who works from home. Taking care of our living space can truly do wonders for our headspace. We all know the specific satisfaction of a freshly cleaned home (even if the immaculateness only lasts a few hours).
Think about the awesomeness that comes with longer days
While we all initially complain about the time change, Daylight Savings is synonymous with the change of seasons and summer being just that much closer. Leaving work or heading out in the late afternoon when it’s dark is a drag, so at least now you’ll be able to see “the light of day,” not to mention the hours you’ll be able to chill on a patio just increased. Winning! Speaking of patios, make sure you listen to my Patio Hangs playlist on Spotify.
It may take a couple more days to feel back to “normal,” but take comfort in knowing that we’ll all be back there in no time!
