EASING IN: A little change like changing your clocks forward one hour seems like it should be easy, but humans are very much creatures of habit.
The change impacts our circadian rhythms, which are tied to our sleeping habits, our hormonal changes and even regular body temperature fluctuations. What we’re saying is, it’s an adjustment, and there’s nothing wrong with taking steps to make it easier on yourself.
EarthSky has some tips for easing into the time change. For more about it, see the full article, “10 Tips to Ease into Daylight Saving Time,” By Deborah Byrd, at EarthSky.org.
Deborah suggests that people take take care of themselves this week.
Eat healthy breakfasts and drink plenty of water this week, as well as make a point of getting some sunlight. Don’t let the kink in the timeclock keep you from engaging in exercise and de-stressing activities — it may be harder to keep on schedule, but your body will appreciate it.
As far as adjusting your sleeping schedule, among Deborah’s recommendations are to sleep in a completely dark room that is not too warm, and to get up at the regular time.
According to EarthSky, Daylight Saving Time stems from an idea by G.V. Hudson of New Zealand, who wanted to create extra daylight time after work so he could catch insects.
Now that we’re on Daylight Saving Time, it’s just one week until the first day of spring.
While the start of spring is just a number on the calendar — as evidenced by a snowstorm coming this week — it will still be comforting to hear the word “spring” uttered next to the present-tense verb “is.”
The calendar’s a pretty objective authority of time. But is the Gregorian calendar the most organized system?
Lewis Run resident Clayton Vecellio has come up with his own system for counting off the days, which we’ll tell you about on Tuesday.
SUNSHINE WEEK: We can’t let Sunshine Week begin without a few words on the importance of the press.
Sunshine Laws help to “shed light” on the work of government agencies by making their work public.
Information is essential to watching the actions of government officials. And you know what, access to government records and meetings is how that information is obtained.
As the Department of State website explains, “The United States values freedom of the press as a key component of democratic governance. Democratic societies are not infallible, but they are accountable, and the exchange of ideas is the foundation for accountable governance.”
