“Hello darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” But not really, you’re just here to suck the happiness out of my life slowly and painfully. That’s right my friends, daylight savings has spiralled the good people of America back into the literal Dark Ages. The times you felt gleeful and invigorated throughout the day? You can wave them goodbye. Now, your day will be filled with undesirable misery, propelling you into a constant state of “why.” Yes, why… why do we still have daylight savings? Why would I rather have sunlight at 6 o’clock in the morning than 6 in the evening? We have artificial lights now, and 24/7 mini marts, and online shopping. There’s absolutely no reason we need daylight savings anymore, other than to make us feel unproductive and spiteful.
Alas, here we are. Stuck between a dark place and a dark place. Falling slowly, and not so gracefully, into an abyss where the maximum amount of daylight is only about 10 hours. Daylight, for many people (unless you’re a vampire), is when you can find peace and happiness because of the light the sun literally brings us. But because we can’t retilt our Earth’s axis to make the days longer or (God forbid) abolish daylight savings, we have to find ways to help us combat the lack of joy we may otherwise have felt during the Dark Ages. Here are 5 things you can easily do to make your winter less gloomy.
1. Turn on some lights. Lights, even artificial ones, can have a huge impact on your mind. Your body can be tricked into thinking that it’s bright outside. Artificial light has a placebo effect, if you would. Plus, it’s just really nice to have lights on to see what you’re doing.
2. Spend as much time outside as you can. A big reason why we sometimes feel hopeless during the winter is because of vitamin deficiency. The UV rays from the sun actually produce Vitamin D in your skin, to put it simply. By not getting a regular and healthy amount of sunlight, your body may become deficient in vitamin D if it’s not supplemented in your diet. This is detrimental to some body functions throughout the day because, just like any vitamin deficiency, your body is lacking something it needs to function!
3. You can actually buy a Sun lamp! Yes, you can nest in a fort of blankets and be as antisocial as you want and still get the right amount of Vitamin D! Ultraviolet ray lamps come in many different shapes or sizes. They stimulate Vitamin D production in your skin, without having to venture ouside and see actual people. Because so many people are often busy during the day, and work indoors (for the most part), it’s difficult to find time to be outside and sunbathe.
4. Exercise! As you probably know, exercise releases a multitude of endorphins that can make you feel happier and more positive! (Plus if you bundle up and exercise outside, you’ll get those UV rays I was talking about before!)
5. Talk to a doctor. If you feel really really sad during the Dark Times, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which affects about 20% of the US population. Unfortunately, SAD and daylight savings often go hand in hand. However, there are treatments and you don’t have to suffer from the furthest circle of hell that is daylight savings.
There are many ways to feel better about the dated system that is daylight savings. That being said, although daylight savings puts a damper on winter, it’s still sometimes great to enjoy what else comes with the cold. It’s a time to feel excited about sweaters, hot chocolate, tea, hats, gloves, and the beauty of snow. Don’t let the gloominess of winter get you down! Make the best of this time by staying healthy, and taking care of yourself.