Hi, Yahoo readers! My name is Rachel Grumman Bender, and here are this week’s wellness tips to help you feel strong, steady and ready for the days ahead. First, a heads-up: Daylight saving time (DST) starts at 2 a.m. next Sunday, March 8 — so don’t forget to set your clocks forward by an hour.
The upside? You’ll finally get more daylight in the evening (your days are numbered, winter). But you’re trading an hour of sleep for it. That shift can throw off your body clock, aka circadian rhythm, leaving you feeling less alert and messing with your hunger signals and mood.
Here’s how to make that transition a bit easier: About three or four days before DST, go to bed and wake up 15 minutes earlier, recommends Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell, a physician and sleep specialist. You can also try opening your shades to get some natural light first thing in the morning, which will help you feel more alert, experts tell Self. Moving your body, like taking a gentle walk in the a.m., also helps. “Physical activity boosts dopamine, so taking a short walk outside, even just [for] five minutes, will help to dispel morning grogginess and increase alertness,” says Fiona Barwick, director of the Sleep and Circadian Health Fellowship Program at Stanford University.
Since brighter days are just around the corner, why not check your local forecast before stepping outside. And if you’re wondering what the stars have in store for you (Mercury is officially in retrograde, so prepare for communication glitches and general chaos), read your horoscope too. Then choose “one small thing” for a healthier and happier week ahead.
🐦 Go bird-watching for your brain
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