Whether you hate it or you love it, daylight savings time is just around the corner. You’ll be setting your clock one hour ahead and losing an hour’s worth of sleep. However, there are some good aspects of daylight savings time. For one, you gain a bit more sunlight in the given day. That means you’re likely going to feel a little less tired and be able to fit a few more activities into your day. To make sure that you’re making the most of your daylight savings time, consider adding some of these tips.
Start Going To Bed Earlier Now
Since daylight savings time is coming up, it’s not a bad idea to start preparing for it now. This is especially true for those tend to stay up late. You don’t have to go to bed early immediately. Instead, you might want to start going to bed 15 or 20 minutes earlier every night until you reach the inevitable date for jumping ahead an hour. By that time, you’ll be used to going to bed at the “same” hour as before. When your coworkers and friends all come into work sleepy-eyed, you can greet them fully refreshed and already embracing the new time change. Regulating your sleep early will also ensure you are able to enter the time change with the same amount of energy as before.
Go Outside
Many consider the sleepy consequences of DST as something akin to jet lag. One way to help with that sleepiness is to go outside more often. After all, you have more sun to appreciate. The sun also keeps your body awake, so you can help yourself stay awake instead of taking a nap that can mess with your sleeping patterns.
Exercise
Another tip that can help you with DST is to exercise. With more light during the day, you can allow it to fuel your energy and motivation to make healthy choices. The beginning of DST is a great time to get into the habit of running or walking. Not only will this get you outside under the sun, but it will improve your overall health, too. Since many cite that there are increased heart problems during the time change, you can protect your heart by setting up a regular exercise regime. Besides improving your heart health, exercise can also regulate and maintain your energy levels.
Save Energy
With more light in the day, you have an opportunity to reduce your energy bill. For one, DST usually heralds the shift into the spring season. You’ll be able to reduce the amount of heat being produced in your home. In addition, instead of just turning on the AC when temperatures start to rise, you can open a window and let the natural breeze cool your house down. Also, you save money on your energy bill by reducing the light usage for natural light instead.
