Longer Days Are Almost Here!

I'm a big fan of Daylight Savings Time! In the winter months, when it gets dark so early, it is hard to get motivated to do much of anything after work. It's cold. It's dark. You just feel kind of blah! However when DST rolls around you don't just have more sunlight, you also get warmer weather and I love that too.

Here's a thought. What will you do to take advantage of the extra sunlight. Take an evening walk. Take the kids to the park? Engage in more 'retail therapy'? Venture out to some new restaurants? Participate in some concerts in the park or in some other activities that happen outdoors? Whatever you decide to do, do something!

However, the first few days of adjusting to losing that one hour of time can be difficult for many people, so here are a few tips to make the transition a little easier.

• Start Tomorrow: Reset your clock on tonight and begin getting up an hour earlier on Friday and Saturday.
• Begin with the Sun: When you wake up, open the blinds and get some sunlight to get your body and your mind used to the start of the day. In the evenings, dim the lights and allow your mind to prepare for sleep.
• Get Active Early: Try to get in a short morning walk or sometime during the day, get out and work out outdoors. Don't indulge in late workouts though, as they can affect your sleep.
• Stop the Naps: While the urge to sneak in a few minutes of shut eye sounds tempting, this can make it harder for your body to adjust.
• Watch What Your Eat and Drink: Eating late and going to sleep isn't the best idea. Having all that food to digest will make it harder for you to get good sleep. And, contrary to popular believe, a drink (alcohol) before bed isn't a good idea either. While it might help you get to sleep, alcohol makes it more difficult to stay asleep as the night progresses.