This Sunday the clocks will go back an hour, meaning that we’ll have a 25 hour day! If you always forget whether they go back or forward, think ‘spring forward, fall back.’
This daylight saving time (DST) happens so that (you might have guessed by the name) we see more daylight during the winter months. The clocks going back this Sunday mark an official end to British summer time – not that we’ve been able to wear short shorts for four months…! So what should you do with your extra hour? Here are a few suggestions.
Sleep!
Late nights on social media, doing homework and procrastinating on Buzzfeed often mean young people end up not getting enough sleep. Most get about seven hours but during adolescence the recommended amount of sleep is nine hours! So why not use this extra one to rest your busy brain and growing body? Your brain retains more information if you allow it to rest than if you stay up all night studying, so you should make catching Zs a priority!
Catch up with someone special
Do you have a friend who is off living a foreign adventure or studying at other side of the country? Try to arrange a Skype or Facetime date with them. It’s really important to make time for friends in faraway places because they might be feeling lonely. They also might have absolutely hilarious stories waiting to be told so if you don’t catch them, you might never know about their entertaining encounters!
Organise and discover music
If you’re anything like me then sorting out your music is staple on your to do list. Whether it’s sifting through old tracks, making playlists or downloading new material, why not dedicate your extra hour to making your music collection fresh and organised?
Print some photos
We are absolutely bombarded with photos on social media, and a photo of you on a night out last week can feel old after a few days. So take the time to choose a few special pictures, stick them on a USB and head to Boots or a local camera shop. Pop them in a frame or give them to friends to enjoy them every day and save them being lost in cyberspace!
Pimp your CV
It’s something you’ve been meaning to do for ages but you haven’t yet got round to it. Whether that’s because you don’t know where to start or due to sheer laziness, use this extra hour to have a look at some templates and make a start on the document which will launch your career. If you already have one, how could you improve it? These days, a LinkedIn profile is a great tool for finding work and making professional connections so get going with your page – now is as good a time as ever!
Get in touch with family
It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the stress of exams or a hectic social life, but there are people who really want to hear about what you are up to. Whether it’s your grandparents who live far away, parents, siblings or anyone in your extended family, you can really make someone’s day by taking time to contact them and having a good catch up. You can fit a lot of tea and biscuits into an hour, you know.
Get creative
If you enjoy cooking, writing, arts and crafts or DIY, life is literally giving you the time to dedicate to an interest. Why not try a recipe you’ve always been curious about or bake some cupcakes for a special person? Whether you have been meaning to customise some clothes, write a short story or draw up plans for an elaborate tree house, now is the time to give it a bash!
Enjoy a guilt free hour of Netflix
Lots of us are guilty of binging on our favourite programmes when we should really be doing something productive like homework, chores or socialising with other people! But whether you’re guilty pleasure is watching jailbird drama unfold in OITNB or catching up on Pablo Escobar’s latest hijinks in Narcos, make this the hour of Netflix.
Go tech free!
Although the thought of parting with your phone and signing out of social media makes many people break out in a cold sweat, it’s really good for you. It’ll be easier if you do something distracting like going for a walk, a bike ride or lunch with a friend but why not make a conscious effort to distance yourself from the machine which is normally surgically attached to your hand? Your eggs benedict will taste just as good if they’re not on Instagram and you never know, you might even find the real world to be really entertaining!
Carve a pumpkin
Your mum isn’t going to do it for you! It’s messy but it’s actually really fun. Good old Google is brimming with ideas for fun and creative pumpkins so why not copy a design or invent your own. Stick a candle in it and place it on a window ledge so your neighbours can enjoy your skills during the week leading up to Halloween!
