That dreaded time of the year has finally arrived – daylight savings time is ending. An extra hour of sleep is in our future, but the sun on the East Coast is determined to set at 4:52 PM.
Ever since I was in middle school, I always struggled with this wintertime ritual Waking up when it was still dark out, going to school all day, and leaving for dance class when the sun had already left the sky. This dread still lingers as a sophomore college student.
Since the sun is setting later in the day, it ruins the quality of my day. I always feel like time is running out, even though there are plenty of hours left in the day to get things done.
But, between last year and now I’ve put certain things into place that have made this time of year significantly less unbearable. This is my handbook for surviving daylight savings time.
Move in conjunction with the sun.
Something that I always strive to do (when possible) is wake up with the sun. This becomes a little more difficult now that the sun is rising earlier in the morning, tomorrow being scheduled at 6:37 rise.
Now that it is almost entirely illogical to wake up with the sun, you can go to bed with the sun. As the sun begins to set, you should cut those fluorescent lights in your dorm room and turn on a warm light that cozies up your room. A sunset lamp, a warmer colored light, or yellow undertone twinkle lights.
I found a significant difference when there is warm light in the majority of my room, as opposed to a colder, white light. I found that I was able to relax better with a more gentle light. Since the lighting was more dim, I was able to better adjust to the darkness and fall asleep easier.
The winter is a time for rest – use it!
In the beginning of the semesters when we bleed into the end of the summer, I find that a lot of us tend to book ourselves by the minute and indulge in a culture that keeps us moving 24/7.
Winter is, innately, a time for humans to rest and recover. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “healthy adults tend to sleep 1.75 to 2.5 hours more during winter,” – winter emphasizes slower living. Use your time inside to rest, take warm showers, and practice self-care. Try and prevent yourself from doom scrolling on your phone all night even if your bed is amazingly warm.
Dress warm for the weather. Just do it.
I religiously never wore a coat my entire first year of college. I eventually caved when the temperature reached the single digits. So, wear that winter coat that your mom packed you. It’s so not worth it to freeze on the way to class. Winter is the layering season!
Even if it is super cold outside, try to get outside when you can. We need vitamin D to sustain ourselves, so a few minutes a day outside are worth it.
Bundling up can keep you outdoors. Though your ‘hot girl walk’ might not be as hot, you can still get yourself moving in a relaxed way.
Find a way to keep your body moving.
It is so much easier to move your body when it is warmer outside when you can comfortably go outside. I find being outdoors to be hard when it gets cold out. Once winter hits, I can no longer walk to my favorite coffee shop downtown and get an iced coffee because my hands are half-frozen.
Last winter, I found different ways to move my body that I didn’t dread, like doing yoga or pilates in my room. I’ve recently taken up cycling as a workout, as opposed to an outdoor bike ride. The same idea applies to an indoor treadmill walk as opposed to an outdoor walk.
The winter can be a tough time for everyone. But together, we can rest up and take care of ourselves and come back better than ever for the warmer season.