Everyone constantly says “we need more hours in a day.” Well on November 4, 2018 our wish was answered. Although we will only receive one additional hour due to “turning back our clocks,” our internal body clock is still on our original time. Take advantage of Daylight Savings to increase your organization & productivity.
Set your alarm clock for one hour earlier than you normally set it. You will not have a problem waking up. Your body is already used to waking up at that time. To offset your sleep, try to go to sleep 30 minutes earlier each night. By using this technique, you will force yourself to wake up early without your body even knowing it. During your extra hour in the morning, you can:
- Empty your dishwasher and wash one load of clothes: In my free email course, we discussed the benefits of loading and running your dishwasher at night. We also discussed washing small loads of clothes each day.
- Study: If you are in school, take this time to read or study. Everyone in your home will probably be sleep and you can use this time to study and get prepared for your class.
- Daily Chore: In my full Home & Life Organizational Strategies Course, you are provided a daily organizational / chore chart. Instead of spending a whole day cleaning your home, the tasks are broken down into small manageable chores. During that extra hour in the morning, you can complete your daily chore.
- Exercise: There is never enough time to exercise. You can use the extra hour to exercise at home. You can do workout videos on YouTube or exercise dvds each morning for 30 minutes.
- Check Emails: Our email boxes are constantly over flowing. You can take this time to read, send, and respond to emails.
- Challenges: There are tons of free challenges and email courses available . We often sign up for all of them. When the daily challenges and emails arrive, they can be overwhelming and we tend to not do any of them. Use the extra hour to read the emails and complete the challenges.
- Get to Work 30 Minutes Early: Start your work day early. If you work outside of the home, your manager or supervisor will see your newly found dedication. It will not be overlooked when it is time for a promotion or performance evaluation. If you are self employed or work at home, this extra hour will be great as a head start for your day.
- Plan Your Day: Use your planner (paper or digital) to prioritize the tasks of your day. Work on your top 3 items. Mark Twain said you should eat a live frog in the morning. Basically, he is recommending you complete your hardest task first. By completing your hardest task first, everything else is easy peasy.
I hope these tips and suggestions can help you use Daylight Savings to become more organized and productive. I understand every location does not participate in Daylight Savings, however, everyone can set their alarm an hour earlier to have an extra hour in the day to work. Also, please comment below with things you would do with an extra hour each day. I would love to hear from you.
As always, if you need help getting your home and life organized, register for my free “5 Days to an Organized Home & Life” email course. Each day you will receive strategies for keeping your home & life organized and having a “company ready” home at all time. You can register for the free course at www.decoratorsvoice.com/free5daycourse.
For information about my Full Home & Life Organizational Strategies course, please visit www.decoratorsvoice.com/homestrategiescourse. In this course, you’ll receive tons of useful information, access to my private Facebook group, and a physical organizational kit.
Thanks for stopping by. If you have any organizational or decorating questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I would love to hear from you. For information concerning our decorating services and products, please visit www.divineelementsofdesign.net
Great tips! Didn’t really think about it, you’re right about being able to get up about an hour earlier since our bodies are used to it. I’m trying to do better and wake up at around 5:30 every morning WHILE being productive lol. Thanks for sharing!
Iyanna recently posted…What to Expect from Mommy and Me Gymnastics
It will require a little discipline, but it can be done. Good luck with waking up at 5:30.
These are some great tips! With an extra hour I would probably finally get around to putting together our family photo album.
Julie Green and Keen recently posted…Healing foods
Yes, you’ll need to schedule it in your planner. It can be done. Good luck.
Great tips! I do a lot of these, and fail at a couple haha! Daylight savings time always gets me off track at first, but this is a fantastic post, thank you for sharing!
…. Sorry this didn’t post earlier, I hope it works now!
You’re welcome. I’m normally a little off track in the Spring. I always feel cheated… LOL.. Thanks for the comment.
These are all great ideas! I need to figure out how to make the most of the time change because it just makes me want to go to sleep earlier!
The Southern Thing recently posted…Five Ways to Thank a Veteran
Yes, is hard to not just sleep in. But I have confidence that you will start waking up before your body gets use to the time difference. Good luck!
These are all so helpful!
Book marking this for the future.
xoxo, Jenny
Jenny recently posted…November Goals
Thanks for for reading. Have a great day!
I actually did go to bed early, and got up an hour earlier .I used it to catch up on blog stuff . Great tips!
Shann Eva recently posted…A Halloween Review
That’s great. Thanks for stopping by.
I’ve been working on changing my sleep schedule. This week I’ve been getting up at 8am and I want to keep it up, I feel like I get so much more done in the day! I definitely need to use these tips to not waste my time in the morning!
Stacey @ Stacey homemaker recently posted…Glamping in the Backyard
Congrats on waking up early. Don’t fall behind and keep it up.
Yes yes yes! I love all of this! I’m all about being productive and getting things crossed off my list!
I agree. I find so much happiness in crossing things off my list.
So many great tips! Daylight savings is so challenging with kids. My little one was so cranky the entire day :S
Abeer recently posted…Mocha cake roll with raspberries
Thanks for stopping by. Sometimes it’s hard to get the little adjusted to a new time. Best of luck to you.
Great idea! I’ve never really thought about using the extra hour in this way, usually I’m like “yay, one extra hour in bed!”
Lizzie recently posted…October Recap + The Secret to Landing Lucrative Clients
Yes, try not to get tempted by the idea of an extra hour of sleep.
These are great suggestions. I woke up yesterday and worked out and am going to try to continue doing so. It’s nice having it out of the way!
Camile recently posted…AM I A BAD MOM?
Awesome. Congrats on getting up early and working out. That’s wonderful. Keep it up.
I felt the first few days of the time change I had so much time on my hands. I tried to put it to use better, these are great tips!
Emily, Our house now a home recently posted…Simple basket revamp, adding polka dots
Great tips – I have never been a morning person. Maybe I can use some of these to help me get a little closer to not hating mornings. 😀
Diane recently posted…Road Tripping by the Seat of Our Pants
I hope they help. Best of luck to you.
These are great ways to use the extra hour. I’m going to bed earlier this week so I’ve managed to get up a little earlier.
karissa recently posted…How to use an editorial calendar to make blogging easier.
These are great tips! Each year I tend to just sleep an extra hour and then I feel great and ready to tackle the day!
Alexandra @ My Urban Family recently posted…Gift Ideas for the Impossible People on Your List
Being well rested is great. You will wake up fully prepared to tackle the day!
I love this time of the year. I avoid the alarm clock whenever possible. I set it as a last resort only, but usually wake up before it goes off. I love getting up earlier, I do a combination of the things you suggested. Longer morning yoga, then check in on the blog and schedule posts for the day. It leaves me totally motivated by the time I get out the door. Thanks for sharing the other tips, I’ll try to incorporate them this week.
xoxo
Katie
http://beyondtheclothing.com
Katie @ Beyond the Clothing recently posted…Open Door Policy // 5 Keys to a Great Guest Room
Great tips! I live in AZ though so we don’t have daylight savings 😛
Thanks for reading and posting. Have a great day!
I signed up for a ton of e-courses and they are sitting in my inbox. 🙂
Jes recently posted…Family Photoshoot 2015
I know. They all seem so good to register for, but we never have the time to sit and complete them.
I love daylight savings because I can get an extra hour of sleep! I really should use that extra hour to do something productive but I’m usually so exhausted from work that I really appreciate that extra hour.
Sandy recently posted…8 Tips to Boost Your Confidence TODAY
If sleeping in during the extra hour allows you to be more alert and productive, I think that’s a great plan.
Great outlook! So many dread this time of year, but I too love it. I’m able to wake up earlier and get a lot more done! I ought to try and be more intentional with me time, however. I might need to set an alarm five minutes after my first to remind me to get off my phone and get to my tasks!
It’s great to take advantage of our multiple alarms.
Suc great tips! Never thought of it like that, you are absolutely right…our bodies are used to getting up at that time anyway!
Stephanie recently posted…Mother Accused of Injecting Heroin into Children, Calls It “Sleeping Juice”
Love this list! There are definitely some great tips in here. 🙂 I took advantage of what felt like extra time on Sunday to clear out my inbox. It was long overdue and I feel so much better with that done!
The never ending inbox!! Great use of your time.
Great ideas!! I didn’t intentionally do this but with four small kids who still wake up at the same “time” (so an hour earlier) I’m kind of doing it anyway!
Yes, the kids don’t “sleep in” during the extra hour. Lol
these are great tips! thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re very welcome.
Yes! These are awesome tips to use this extra hour!!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Really great tips here! Way to look at it as a positive thing!
I quite liked this 🙂 each tip was unique AND useful. I liked the idea of tricking your body into getting up earlier.
Love this list! Such great tips. I know I enjoyed having that extra hour!
Bridget @ Antics of a Nutty Hiker recently posted…Pratt Cabin | McKittrick Canyon Trail at Guadalupe Mountain National Park
I always love the first week after the time change because I get up earlier without feeling tired! It is usually messed up by the weekend haha. These are great!
xx nicole
http://www.nicoleparise.com
Nicole Parise recently posted…Animal Prints for Fall and Spring
Great tips! I agree with all of them. Too bad I couldn’t do everything in that extra hour 🙂
It feels like a total reset, doesn’t it? I love this time of year.
I absolutely love this post! I’m so shocked I never thought to just utilize that extra hour. It almost seems like common sense, but I surely just changed my clocks and my alarms with them. So glad I read this post, I will be changing my alarms right back.
Awesome post filled with great tips! Being productive is definitely key! 🙂
Thanks for sharing !:)
I have never thought taking advantage of daylight saving time.
Yes, we need to steal productivity time any way we can.
These are all great tips and ideas! We have been struggling this week, and this gives me hope for productivity! Thanks for the inspiration!
I really don’t agree with the fall back/spring forward thing. It messes up my sleep LOL! But you’re right, getting that extra hour is nice. I’d spend it catching up emails.
I️ agree with you. I️ really don’t see the need to do it now. But if we can’t beat it, we have to join it.
Great Tips! I LOVE getting up early so I can see the sunrise and make sure my kids get a good breakfast before school.
My mom made my breakfast before school. It was awesome.
These are great tips! I need to get my toddler back to her normal sleeping schedule so I can try some of these out. I know I would feel so much more productive!
I️ look forward to my toddlers scheduled nap time. Lol
Great tips!! When we get rid of distractions and stay focused, we can accomplish a lot in an hour!!
Yes, getting rid of distractions can be hard… but not impossible.
These are such great tips! I notice such a difference when I get up and get going early in the morning before my kids and I need to be better about doing that!
I️ think the hardest part is physically getting out of bed. Once we do that, the hardest part is done.
Increasing productivity has been the mission these days so these are great little nuggets of wisdom to pull from. I really do need to be better at using one of my many planners and sticking to it. It’s so helpful when I do.
I’m glad these tips may be useful.
A daily chore is a super smart idea! I already do a “quick clean” that’s typically 15-30 minutes long, but I really need to start focusing on one area and making sure deep cleaning and such is getting done as well.
Yes, the only way certain things get done or by small daily chores. Keep up the good work.
These were really good ideas. Eye openers as well! Exercise is what I could use it for.
Joanna Clute recently posted…Wine Pairings for Thanksgiving Dinner
Don’t get me started on exercise… lol. Yes, I️ need to add that into my schedule.
i would love to live in perpetual summer – no short & dark winter days! =) oh well. great tips here to get more done in the day!
A perpetual summer sounds wonderful.
I never thought about this concept. Daylight Savings can help with being organized? Amazing!
Yes, I always try to find extra pockets of time whenever I can. Thanks for reading and commenting.