“Spring forward…. Fall back” Is this a game changer?

Twice a year we have a time change and, in my case, it truly affects me, it takes some time for me personally to adjust to these time changes. The only way that l remember is the old saying of fall back.…the clocks go back an hour…if its spring the clocks moves forward.

“Spring forward… Fall back”

This sounds so simple and yet many people are truly affected by these time changes that need not to be. The affects that this simple one-hour time change has on many folks is very traumatic and has led to death. I will give you my brief snap shoot of how this changing of time twice a year has affected me and millions of people around the world.

Studies have shown that the bi-annual tradition can cause serious negative effects, including increased depression rates, heart attacks, stroke and much more. The benefit of ending the twice-yearly change includes promoting more consumerism by giving the population more hours of daylight in the evening. The province of Ontario has passed a bill in the legislature that would end our widely reviled biannual clock change ritual once and for all. However, for this change to be permanently, it needs Quebec and the State of New York to play along.

A private members bill called “The Time Amendment Act,” tabled by Ottawa-West Nepean MPP Jeremy Roberts, is the first step in moving things forward to becoming a reality. The passing of Bill 214 effectively paves the way for government officials to end the practice of forcing us to “spring forward” and “fall back” by an hour every March and November, respectively. This would give us a consistent 24-hour clock for our system to only adjust to one and only one-time cycle.

This is a significant development after years of debating this subject to no end, with no real leadership to effectively make the move to change. Based on academic studies that suggests these bi-annual clock changes can have serious negative impacts as l have stated. These time changes, especially the one that takes place in the fall, has a huge impact on my mental state and my daily functionality.

What do l mean by this?

In the fall as we just have fallen an hour behind, it gets very dark faster and by 4.30 pm it seems that l wake up in the dark and l am working through darkness most of the balance of the day. I try to savour the limited day light that we get, but its not enough for me to get into sync with my day. The quick onset of darkness finds me looking for ways to keep my mind from getting lethargic and out of that black hole of depression. This lack of an addition hour of sunlight has a major impact on me and many others. Disruption to the body clock has had major impact on us and we don’t even know the harm it is doing to us. A mismatch of an hour daily is enough for ill effects, especially if it lasts for several months.

These time changes have a split opinion on whether time changes should be moved, and which one benefits us the most. Is it having an extra hour of daylight in the spring or having that extra hour of sleep in the fall?

This debate has been going on for years and there are pros and cons on both sides of the argument about what benefits you best…my personal opinion, is that having that extra hour of day light in the fall and into the winter months works best for me and my mind set. Having that extra hour keeps me more in sync and avoids me from falling into a slump and attracting me to other bad habits that become very difficult to deal with later on in the year…like putting on those extra pounds and then some.

Having to deal with COVID-19 and other stressful things that come with this pandemic shutdown, you may think that this one-hour time change may have no significance, but in the grand scheme of things, l believe that it has a great impact.  Here are some things/tips that l do to try and keep my days a bit longer and less stressful…

Exercising regularly is always good, if you can’t get to a gym…just go for a walk. This sounds simple, but it isn’t. Try to schedule in your day a small walk and increase it as you get stronger walking. You will be amazed at the increased level of energy you will get after doing this consistently for a week. Walking will boost your mood and will eventually give you that second wind during the day.

Simple breathing exercise is something that l am still trying to master to this day. Try this simple technique that works best for me…breath through your nose by filling your stomach with air, hold it for three seconds and blow it out through your mouth. If you are not used to this it will hurt, but as you do more of these breathing exercises, it gets better and easier to do. I usually do this exercise when driving and l come to a stop sign…take those few seconds to take advantage to this technique.

Stay away from toxic people…regardless of the specific situation, toxic people should be avoided at all costs. I have had many of those folks in my life and trying to be aware of these bad karmas and negative energies from these people, its amazing when you cut these toxic people out of your live that seems to give you more clarity to go on with your day.

Stay away from anyone who makes you feel worse about yourself and cut out people in your life that take advantage of you. This is a tough one…try and get off of coffee/caffeine, giving your body a break will do wonders for the overall nervous system. This works for me; it may not be for you…but something to consider.

My final recommendation is consider getting a pet if you don’t have one. This is something that l personally never had on my radar until recently and it has changed my psychic somewhat and has given me a relaxing calmness when getting home.

These are not expert recommendations, but they are some things that work for me…with the caveat that l am always looking for new things that will help me get through these times.

Can a one-hour time change bring that much disruption?

You tell me…