An email made its way into my inbox this morning with a fun little tidbit of information—apparently, we’ve all been talking about daylight saving time the wrong way. Notice how I wrote “saving”—not “savings?” Yeah, that wasn’t a spelling error. It gets better, too. Apparently, from March 12 to November 4 (mark your calendars, people!), the time zones revert to EDT and PDT. I immediately felt smarter for having this new knowledge in my arsenal of facts, and then quickly realized that I am actually—possibly—quite dumb for making it through 23 years of life without ever having known this.
After the initial shock of receiving this email, it occurred to me that I have even more ways to be a know-it-all to the people in my life. And so do you! Consider this: a professor assigns a paper and reminds you that it is due on March 13 at 8 p.m. EST. You can now raise your hand and confidently announce that the correct time zone is actually EDT, proving your knowledge of little-known facts. Or, instead of insulting your superiors and making everyone hate you for being annoying (because I was obviously joking), you can just appreciate the fact that you have an extra hour of sunlight (plus a fun new fact to think about) and use it to improve your life.
Here are four ways to use the time change to your advantage:
Carve out some “me time.” We know you don’t actually have an extra hour in the day, but an extra hour of sunlight is not to be wasted. After months of way too much darkness, it’s nice to be able to leave class or work and still see the sun. Instead of sitting at home, take an hour to walk through the park or read outside at a coffee shop. The small break coupled with vitamin D will do you wonders.
(photo via @mar.elekes)
Do your homework outside. Get out of the library! Studying in a big stuffy building is not beneficial to anyone’s productivity, so venture outdoors with your books and get to work. Even if you end up staring at the clouds for an hour, your brain (and sanity) will probably still be better off than before.
(photo via @threadedco)
Get creative. Whether you love to paint or just want to redecorate your apartment, do something to flex your creative muscles. I personally love to clean my apartment from top to bottom, open all the windows, light some candles, and make something that speaks to my soul. There’s truly nothing more inspiring than rays of sunlight.
(photo via @itsandie)
Be active. Go for a run, ride your bike, or even find a yoga class in the park. Winter is long, and often not the healthiest of months for most of us. But with longer days and warmer temperatures, there are fewer excuses to stay curled up in bed and complain about how “blah” you’ve been feeling. Get rid of the winter blues right off the bat with a little cardio and a lot of fresh air—you’ll be amazed how immediate the effects can be.
(photo via @tabihoshmand)
How are you celebrating your extra hour of sunlight? Post a picture of how you’re taking advantage of the time change, and be sure to use the hashtag #StyleGuruLove.
