Life

6 Phases You Go Through During Daylight Savings

by Kat Kuehl

Oh, the craziness of Daylight Saving Time. Sure, it's great to gain an extra hour of sleep (or Netflix time) in the fall, but switching the clocks around is still a surefire way to mess with your mind. So, it's inevitable that there are a few phases you move through when Daylight Saving Time happens.

If I'm being honest, it took me a while to really grasp the concept of Daylight Saving Time (DST). In some ways, it just seemed like a cruel trick to confuse us and make us late for things. But, it actually does serve a purpose.

DST exists to make better use of daylight. We "spring forward" in the spring, and "fall back" in the fall in order to achieve longer daylight earlier in the day. The flip side of that? It's completely dark outside when you get home from work.

There is no denying that DST can be a pain to get used to. And, messing with your body clock just for the sake of sunlight can seem a little, well, not worth it. So, here are six phases you go through when Daylight Saving Time happens. By the way, you need to remember to move your clocks back an hour on Nov. 1 — whatever that means.

1. You're just confused about everything.

Wait, do I move the clock forward or back? When should I even do this? I know the date, but is there like a certain time I move the clock so that I'm on the same schedule as everyone else? And, is that instructed time in the new time, or the old time? I don't even know my own name anymore.

2. You're hungry, tired, and cranky.

It doesn't matter whether time moved forwards or backwards, your body is just out of whack. You'll be hungry for lunch at 10 a.m., and you'll feel insanely tired even if you actually gained an hour of sleep. Life just doesn't make sense.

3. You're either late or early for everything.

Luckily, the clock on your phone changes automatically, or you'd be totally screwed. But, just because that one changed doesn't mean you remember to switch everything else. So, when you're relying on the clock in your car to get you places on time, you're going to run into trouble. And, let's be honest, it'll be weeks before you actually get around to changing all of your clocks.

4. You realize you don't even know how to change your clocks.

How the heck do I even change the clock on my microwave? Shouldn't there just be a simple button or something? Wait, now the microwave's running. Did I just set a cook time instead of changing the clock? OK, now I think I got it. Wait, that says a.m. But, it's nighttime. You know what, that's close enough.

5. You feel unjustifiably proud of yourself for getting used to the new time.

It's inevitable. Eventually you'll adjust to the time change. And, chances are, you'll feel pretty darn accomplished for doing so. Oh, and when you finally get the clock right on that microwave (two months after DST)? Well, you deserve an award.

6. You're angry when it happens all over again.

You've finally adjusted to the hellish torture of DST, and suddenly it's time to do it all over again — only the opposite way. What kind of cruel trick is this?!

Images: Lara604/Flickr; Giphy (6)