How to Prepare for Daylight Savings

The days are getting shorter and the nights longer, which means it's almost that time of year again... On Sunday, November 6th, we will be winding our clocks back an hour for daylight savings.

This time switch can feel like a challenging adjustment, and it's not uncommon to experience disturbances in sleep, mood, and energy levels. That’s because daylight savings affects your circadian rhythm – or your internal clock – which is controls the release of hormones that impact your appetite, mood, and sleep.

In order to minimize any adverse effects of "falling back," we invite you to try the strategies below:

Practice Good Sleep Hygiene

Getting quality sleep is always important, but during daylight savings, it is all the more essential. In the nights leading up to November 6th, practice good sleep hygiene in order to promote restful sleep. This can look like:

  • Getting sunlight early in the day to assist your circadian rhythm

  • Stopping caffeine consumption at least 6 hours prior to your bedtime

  • Practicing sleep-promoting activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath, meditating, reading, or engaging in mindful movement (we recommend our Release to Restore studio class!)

  • Keeping your phone on silent, or ideally, putting it outside your bedroom altogether

  • Maintaining a cool and dark bedroom environment


Be Mindful of SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of people each year, and it is often exacerbated by daylight savings. During the colder months, you may find yourself experiencing symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, low motivation, or feeling sad or hopeless. If you notice a shift in your mood or energy levels, try taking the following steps:

  • Utilize a sun lamp in the morning

  • Get natural sunlight throughout the day whenever possible

  • Take time to exercise and socialize, even if you feel unmotivated or lethargic

  • Pursue an engaging activity, whether that's working on a 1000-piece puzzle, dancing, knitting, cooking, reading, or doing creative arts

  • Work with a therapist who can help you navigate difficult emotions and develop coping skills

Double Check Your Schedule

If you find it difficult to keep track of your appointments and stick to a schedule after daylight savings, you're not alone. This can be especially true if you are working across U.S. or international time zones, since not all time zones observe daylight savings and/or it may fall on different dates. Ahead of your workweek, double check to make sure you are clear on upcoming meeting and appointment times. (To our Repose psychotherapy and studio clients, please keep in mind that we operate on Eastern Standard Time and will be observing daylight savings!)

Lastly, remember that this is a temporary adjustment and it won't last forever! Be gentle with yourself during this transitional time and the winter months to follow. If you are not yet working with a Repose therapist and are in need of additional support, book your complimentary consultation with us here.

Services Offered At Repose Therapy

At Repose Therapy, our goal is to provide the best HOLISTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY services among other evidence-based therapy services to you. We enjoy working with college students, mothers, parents, couples, and individuals who are seeking better mental wellness in their life. If you’re struggling or trying to find a way to move forward, then our DIVERSE TEAM OF THERAPISTS would be thrilled to work with you. If grief counseling isn’t the service you’re seeking, no worries. We offer other services at our ONLINE THERAPY OFFICE IN NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, AND NEW JERSEY. Other services include EMDR THERAPY, ANXIETY TREATMENT, PTSD TREATMENT, AND TRAUMA THERAPY, THERAPY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH, MARRIAGE COUNSELING AND COUPLES THERAPY, THERAPY FOR TEENS, LGBTQIA+ THERAPY, ART THERAPY, DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY. 

Additionally, we offer many GROUPS at our practice including an adult DBT skills group MANAGING EMOTIONS WITH DBT and Art Therapy, MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY, EMBRACING YOUR BODY, and a Ramadan group. If you’re interested in any of our other services, please reach out, we cannot wait to work with you as you improve your well-being and begin your journey towards healing.

Mary Breen