Happy Hour: 3 Ways to Embrace Daylight Saving

Early to bed, early to rise…blah, blah, blah.

I’m not a fan of Daylight Saving. In fact, up until now, I’ve been saying it wrong, calling it “Daylight Savings.” Who knew?

No disrespect to Benjamin Franklin who proposed the concept in 1784, but his grand idea messes up my life twice a year when nearly 70 countries worldwide “fall back” and “spring forward.” Apparently Benjamin was concerned that people were staying up too late, burning their candles, and sleeping past dawn. He never considered the fact that some of us do our best work at night and if we wake before dawn, we tend to be cranky.

But I digress. Perhaps Daylight Saving is the perfect time for me to change my attitude. Here are three ways to embrace this observance.

• Learn the history behind Daylight Saving. In his book, “Seize the Daylight,” author Dr. David Prerau chronicles some of the more interesting and quirky stories behind Daylight Saving Time (DST). For example, back in the 1960s, there was widespread confusion about when DST would start and end. One year, there were 23 different pairs of DST start and end dates in Iowa alone!
• Make time for yourself. DST affects our overall health. Not only does it throw our sleep patterns off, DST is often linked to a spike in heart attacks and car accidents. Slow down, soak in the morning sun, unplug and consider other ways to survive Daylight Saving Time.
• Bookmark a Time Zone Converter. Since Arizona doesn’t observe DST (with the exception of the Navajo Nation), it makes everyone a bit nuts, especially when scheduling work conference calls or media interviews out of state. Make sure all parties know what time zone you are referring to when confirming appointments.

 

It all happens at 2 a.m. on Sunday! So, embrace DST and remember to cherish every moment.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again.”