Setting Back the Clock and Changing Up Your Routine

For some, setting back the clocks can be a negative experience as it brings the inevitable end to summer and long drives home from work in the dark. While this is a normal way to feel, there may be an alternate way to enter this seasonal change with a positive outlook that will yield greater results rather than the negative that we can tend to lean towards.

EARLY BIRD APPROACH

I take advantage of the quiet time. I get up earlier and have my own time to plan for the day before anyone else wakes up. Instead of sleeping in that additional hour that daylight savings brings, I look forward to the sun coming up at an earlier time and adjust my wake-up time accordingly. This gives me an additional hour per day to be productive.

REST

The time change forces us to slow down in the evenings as it gets darker earlier. This makes us think we need to eat dinner sooner and relax for the evening. Our bodies are made to function with the sun and moon, and it is our natural alarm clock. So, in these winter months, be a bear and hibernate a little more than you would in the summer. That way we can feel fresh and rejuvenated by the time the next season comes.

SWITCH UP YOUR WORKOUT ROUTINE

If you were used to working out in the morning while it was still dark, consider switching it to the evening so you can take advantage of getting an earlier start to your day. Instead, use the evening time to complete your workout rather than going home and getting in bed sooner than you normally would just because it's dark out.

Keep in mind, change is whatever you make it. If you choose to make it good, it will be a good change. Although, If you dread the differences in routine and say how awful it is, then that will be the outcome. Create something incredible out of it and do not be afraid to change the way you enter and exit a day. Who knows? You may find you actually enjoy it more than the routines you’ve been sticking to.