I am tired, sleeping all the time, craving more carbs, gaining weight and agitated. Now if you are a mother, that sounds like the first trimester of pregnancy, but no, these were symptoms of fall daylight savings.
12-14 hours of darkness each day, for 4 months straight is rough every year. I am not sure who came up with it, but I can pass on it. So I started to do some research to find out why was I feeling like this.
I came across an article by Mayo Clinic (Seasonal affective disorder article) and it said it’s a type of depression that relates to the change in seasons. Although the specific cause of SAD is unknown, the symptoms seem to coincide with daylight savings.
Read the article on the symptoms and causes of SAD. I was actually surprised how many boxes I checked off that relate to me.
Here are a few ways to improve your symptoms :
- Get moving. Find ways to incorporate exercise in your week. 3-5 times at 30-60 minute a session. It was give you much needed energy, help you sleep better and keep your weight down.
- Get social. Connect with family or friends in the day time. Allowing the light from outside to energize you.
- Take Vitamin B & D. It is good for our muscles and boost energy.
- Adjust your diet. Take a look at your diet and make sure you are giving it the right nutrition to function daily.
- Drink plenty of water. Do I need to say more!? Do dehydrate your body any further by drinking coffee and hot cocoa to keep your body warm. Try to get 6-10 glasses a day.
Don’t forget Spring Daylight Savings is March 8, 2020! This is where you move the clock forward 1 hour at 2 a.m. A better way to remember this is, spring forward, fall backwards.
Also listen to this weeks podcast (Apple Podcast), (Google Podcast) or (Anchor) on how to prepare for daylight saving. Something tells me the first few week of adjusting to the time, people may be a little crazy!