I do not know about you, but I always get a bit bummed when this time of year rolls around. It takes a lot of motivation to keep on with my day when it is dark long before dinner time. I know it could be worse, many people living in Northern Europe and even our fellow Americans in Alaska have to deal with even less sunlight than us here on the mainland of the states. I realize I am a bit of a baby, but here are some tips to make the time change and lack of sunlight during day time hours a little better this winter:
5 Quick Tips for the End of Daylight Savings
Easy ways to stay motivated throughout winter
1. Soak up some Sun with some Vitamin D!
The connection between mood disorders and vitamin D deficiency is well-established. A study at the University of Newcastle in Australia tested the effects of supplemental vitamin D intake versus a placebo in a group of healthy subjects in late winter. The subjects receiving vitamin D had a dramatic improvement in mood scores versus the placebo group.
“Since we’re stuck inside during the winter, substitute traditional sun exposure for a good vitamin D supplement to ensure you get the nutrients you need during the winter months;” says Dr. Christopher Hobbs.
One to try: Rainbow Light’s Berry D-Licious™ 2500 IU Vitamin D3 Gummy; www.rainbowlight.com
2. Take Zinc to Nix the Sniffles!
According to a study published in the American Society for Microbiology , zinc gluconate lozenges were tested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial as a possible treatment for common colds. Zinc lozenges were found to shorten the average duration of common colds by about 7 days and up energy levels significantly.
One to try: Cold-EEZE® Cold Remedy Plus Natural Immune Support + Natural Energy: www.coldeeze.com
3. Caffeine and Water Fix
We’ve heard it over and over: Drink lots of fluids to stay healthy! Why not drink something crisp and caffeinated while burning a few extra calories?
One to Try: Medifast Essential 1 Calorie Burn: Available in Strawberry lemonade, Green Tea Lemon and Berry, these packets have no sugar, no fat, no sodium and only 5 calories! Each serving gives you 100 mg of caffeine and 90 mg of EGCG to enhance fat burning.
4. 30 Minutes of Cardio a day, Keeps your Sleepiness at Bay!
According to Certified Personal Trainer and Wellness Expert John Rowley, doing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week is vital for your energy levels. Cardio exercise increases the heart rate and increases the amount of oxygen in the body and oxygen is the largest source of energy for your body.
5. Take a 10 Minute Time Out – Yes, we need to put baby in the corner!
According to Dr. David Sack, M.D., mental health expert and the CEO of Promises Treatment Center, taking a ten minute time out can free your mind and prevent your mind from getting fatigued.
Do you have any tips you would like to share to help others deal with the darker days ahead of us???
DST changes are worse than you think… I have to schedule a lot of international skype calls, and must be very careful to point out that our call is at 8:30am *Pacific* time which is *currently* UTC-7 (but will be UTC-8 tomorrow!).
To see how crazy this is, take a glance at https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/events.html and be amazed.
What a pain!
I have been looking into a light box, or at least a bulb that would give me some of the effects of sunlight to help with the winter blues. Do you have any suggestions on that? Do they help?
I’ve heard of this too and I’m friends with a couple in Seattle that swear by them.
To me it is not the end of daylight savings time that bothers me. It is all the leaves coming off the trees. The tress looked so beautiful with all the colors in the leaves. Wish the leaves could stay up over winter in all their splendor. Looking at nacked trees is what does me in!