No Need to Fall Behind!

Sunday marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. This means that we all have to set our clocks back an hour and ‘gain’ an hour that we lost in Spring. The saying that often helps us remember this is ‘spring ahead, fall behind.

But isn’t the whole process of setting our clocks forward and backward a bit disorienting? Why do we even do this to ourselves every year? And how can we come out ahead despite the time change?

The clocks are falling behind, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Think of Daylight Saving as an opportunity to rearrange your schedule in an enjoyable way. It’s the best time to take advantage of the extra hour. With this guide, you’re sure to come out on top.

Why is Daylight Saving a Thing?

Daylight Saving as a concept was introduced to conserve energy. Benjamin Franklin wrote, “An Economical Project” in 1784. During his time, he meant it more as a joke to conserve candles saying that everyone should get up earlier.

But wasn’t taken seriously in the United States until World War I. Because the country had to be careful with limited resources, Daylight Saving was introduced as a way to give more fuel toward the war effort. Once the war was over, it fell out of popularity.

It picked back up again around the second World War for the same reasons of rationing fuel. Yet, once the war ended, several states decided to keep it. But because no one agreed on how to implement it, there was a lot of confusion when it came to transportation across state lines.

That is until 1966 when congress passed the Uniform Time Act. There have been some bills since then to adjust what day and what time Daylight Saving starts and ends. The latest was in 2005 with the Energy Act Policy.

Nowadays we don’t have to worry about rationing, but Daylight Saving seems to be here to stay for the time being.

The Downside to Daylight Saving

In modern times, Daylight Saving is doing more harm than good. In spite of what the clock says, your body is used to getting up at a certain time. That’s your circadian rhythm at work. It’s why you may notice your pets keeping the same routines they’ve always had despite the switch in time.

Disrupting your circadian rhythm causes you to feel more sluggish and tired. While it may take some people a day to adjust, it can take others months. This isn’t so bad when ‘gaining’ an hour, but then we have to ‘lose’ it again, you definitely can feel it.

Until we unanimously vote to do away with changing our clocks (unless you live in Arizona or Hawaii), we’re stuck with it. But here's how we can save our sanity and honor our sleep cycle in the meantime.

Turn Your Alarm Back One Hour

Instead of fighting what your body is used to, set your alarm back by one hour so you’re still waking up at the ‘same time'. By the time you wake up in the morning, you’ll find that you’ll have an hour to yourself before work or school.

This is the perfect time to do anything that you wish you would have done before starting your day. We talked about an ideal morning routine more in-depth back when school started.

However, with winter approaching, let’s change it up just a bit.

With the days getting shorter, take full advantage of this hour to yourself. Especially if you’re prone to seasonal mood disorders. It’s the perfect time to go outside before starting your day. Go for a morning walk. Do a quick exercise. Use the time to soak up as much sun as possible. You can also use it to have an amazing breakfast. Take time to study or read.

Anything that makes you happy and brings a little bit of happiness to your day is worth doing. Plus, you’re setting yourself up to have a great day by doing so.

Tell us, are you team Daylight Saving or do you want this whole thing to go away? Let us know in the comments! And what do you do to help adjust to the new time? Do you have any advice for our readers?