A loss of one hour may not seem like much, but each of us most likely is feeling it more prevalently if we have had to go about our regular schedule and ignore what our body clock needed – one more hour of sleep.

A mini jet-lag is what I refer to this time of year, each year. And as much as I try to convince myself it won’t make a difference, it does. And I felt it significantly so yesterday.

And it was only Tuesday.

But take heart! Whether you are needing a recharge due to Daylight Saving Time or for any other reason an extra hour or so of precious sleep was lost, I have a few ideas for finding more energy.

1.Acknowledge the fatigue

Fighting and denying may work for some of us, but acknowledging that we simply are missing the extra hour of sleep enables us to not get grumpy unnecessarily with our colleagues, family members or the random stranger who just gets on our last nerve (even though, we probably only had one left due to our lack of sleep) directs are efforts to positive remedies.

2. Step outside

After all, the entire intention of Daylight Saving Time is to lengthen the amount of daylight we have at the end of the day, and stepping outside enables us to breathe the fresh air, re-acclimate ourselves and our body clock and potentially partake in some exercise which will help us sleep even deeper.

Yesterday, the boys and I went skiing in the most exquisitely blue sky and winter warm weather. And while after work, my mind was exhausted, my body was not. Choosing to enjoy the snow for a few miles enabled my mind to relax and my body to do the work. Needless to say, I fell a sleep swiftly and slept quite well that evening.

3. Delay making any significant decisions

Making a good decision, especially a decision that we will be living or working with moving forward, deserves our clearest and soundest mind. Even when we are well rested, sleeping on something, giving it time, is a good idea according to Psychology Today – which means: refraining from making any significant decisions until you are rested and recharged. Doing nothing temporarily will reduce any chance for regrets.

4. Refuel well

Reaching for sugar for a quick energy boost may be tempting, but especially when we are fatigued, giving our bodies proper fuel will enable it to work with us more efficiently. (Read this post which shares a detailed list of How to Feed Your Body Well.) Having recently read The Case Against Sugar, I am further motivated to be thoughtful about what I am drawn to and why in order for my body and my mind to perform at its best.

5. Watch or read something elevating and/or relaxing

Recognizing that temporarily I did not need to learn about the particular current event of the day that would wrestle around in my mind as it tried to figure out how I would talk about it in conversation, I turned on this week’s Petit Plaisir (I quite enjoyed episode #3 and look forward to watching episode #4 later this week). My mind relaxed, my body followed enabling me to conserve a bit of energy and calm my mind before going to bed which hastened my much needed deep sleep all the more.

6. Prepare in advance

While the loss of the hour has passed, knowing it was going to come, I did my best to give myself more time to sleep this past weekend and limited my schedule. I also consciously made my bedroom as welcoming as possible – freshly laundered sheets, for example – and took a bath Saturday evening to prepare for going to bed earlier or letting myself sleep in a bit more on Sunday.

Admittedly, this did help, but taking a nap this coming weekend may be a good idea as well to help with the adjustment. But what to do during the week? Take it easy a little bit more than you might be able to normally.

7. More rest, not less

Sometimes actually pushing through can do more harm than good. Similar to overwashing our skin which can actually increase natural oil production and increase breakouts, engaging in too much cardio exercise that ultimately reduces our lean muscle mass which is present to increase our metabolism, pushing through is often our body and our mind’s way of saying, “give me a break”.

Taking a break does not mean you will have to take this much of a break consistently moving forward, but for now, with the loss of an hour, give your mind and body the break it needs to catch up.

8. Make your daily and weekly simply luxury rituals a vital priority

That bubble bath you take on the weekends, maybe add two – one on the weekend and one during the week. Guard your evening wind-down time as though it was a doctor’s appointment – it kind of is this week. And attending your favorite class that enables you to destress almost immediately, make it a have-to – no exceptions. (Read this post to discover 27 Simple Luxury Ideas.)

Even if you enjoy gaining the extra hour in the evening, knowing how to remedy a week when the energy just doesn’t seem to be there as it usually is will put the life you enjoy back on track far more quickly and without any gaffs or unnecessary oopses along the way.

SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~31 Ways to Practice True Self-Care and Exponentially Improve the Quality of Your Daily Life, episode #242

~Why Not . . . Give the Midweek a Boost?

~Why Not . . . Have an Amazing Day in the Middle of the Work Week?

~The Importance of a Daily Routine & How to Create One You Love, episode #164