When is daylight savings time?
This weekend, on Sunday, November 6, daylight savings time will end. We will “fall back” and turn back the clocks an hour. This means that we will gain an extra hour of time this weekend! How will you take advantage of the time? Consider a commitment to waking up an hour earlier. This way, you can get into the habit of having more time in the morning.
Why is the end of daylight savings time the perfect opportunity to wake up early?
For starters, your body will be ready anyway. If you normally (this week) wake up at 6:30 AM, after this weekend, your body’s 6:30 AM will be the clock’s 5:30 AM. So, waking up early will feel like a regular morning. And, this also means that you won’t mess with your circadian rhythm.
The key will be to go to bed early. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. So, try getting to bed between 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM if you plan to wake up at 5:30 AM.
Another bonus? The sun will rise earlier. If this sun rises normally at 7:00 AM this week, it will rise next week when the clock reads 6:00 AM. It will feel easier to wake up when the light outside is brighter for now – but as the days get shorter, you may want to consider using a natural spectrum lamp.
Why would you want to wake up early in the first place?
Here are 9 reasons for waking up early. If you wake up early, you have more time to:
Work out. Exercising first thing in the morning means that you don’t have to worry about getting to it for the rest of the day. And, early morning exercise gets your blood flowing to your body and to your brain – waking you up and making you feel energized.
Read. One way to be more productive is to read about productivity. Giving yourself more time to read content that will give you ideas on productivity will set you up for success. One book I reference frequently? Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Eat breakfast. Why do people say that breakfast the most important meal of the day? A healthful breakfast gives you the nutrient-rich energy you need to be productive. What’s more, people who eat a healthful breakfast weigh less than folks who skip it. Not a big pancake eater? There are so many alternative breakfast ideas. What’s not to like about good mornings with a healthy breakfast?
Meditate. Training your brain to be more resilient and calm means you will feel less stress throughout the day. I currently use the app Headspace, and in the past (when I was working to meditate for just five minutes a day), I used the Insight Timer app.
Eat the frog. In his book Eat that Frog, Brian Tracy recommends that productive people tackle the most important and the most difficult thing first thing in the morning. How great would it be if you had accomplished the most challenging item on your to do list before everyone else wakes up?
Pack a healthy lunch. Bringing lunch from home means you can have better access to healthy food throughout the day. Make sure to pack healthy snacks too.
Journal. Instead of traditional journaling, I write morning pages. Julia Cameron, in her book The Artist’s Way, recommends writing three pages of your stream of consciousness right after you wake up to spark creative thoughts. Unlike a traditional journal entry, morning pages don’t have structure; they simply exist to get your thoughts on paper.
Clean. As Gretchen Rubin says “outer order contributes to inner calm.” Take the extra time to tidy up your living space. And, don’t forget the economical green cleaners that can lend a hand!
Relax and reflect before the day begins. Enough said! Wouldn’t it be great to just have time to get yourself organized before the morning rush begins?
How will you spend the extra hour as daylight savings time comes to a close?
© 2017 Caitlin W Howe, LLC
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