I like to mention at my resilience workshops that when it comes to time, we don’t manage it but it manages us. After all, there are only 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds in a day. No more, no less. How you spend that time is how you define your priorities.
The Rolling Stones in one of their earliest classic songs Time is On My Side, are not singing about time management but we’ll get our interpretation this weekend when we get a bit of time on our side as we transition back to Daylight Standard Time.
While this adjustment is easier on our bodies than losing that hour in the spring (in the spring there are more heart attacks, car accidents and lost work productivity) the real consequences are not around the clock but the amount of light we have in these shorter days of the fall. The onset of DST is another indicator of the inevitable seasonal march to winter. And while the number of hours of sunlight is the same regardless of our cultural clocks, the shift from early morning light to early evening darkness does change the amount of natural light we may get during our day. We want to maximize our light acquisition as much as possible to maintain a healthy and resilient mindset. In order to do so try out these ideas:
- Get out on bright days as much as possible so you can get around natural sunlight.
- Add mirrors in strategic places in your house to reflect sunlight and brighten your spaces.
- Consider buying full spectrum light bulbs for your house that mimic natural light.
- If you are in your offices, use opportunities to stand in front of windows and catch some rays during the day.
Of course, there may be days where your urge to hibernate just takes over and you should feel free to give in to it and just let the gentle flames of your fireplace lull you off to a good night’s sleep.
© Richard Citrin, All rights reserved, 2015
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