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Daylight Saving Time – 12 Things NOT to Do With That Extra Hour!

So what shouldn't you be using your extra hour for? What is a total waste of your time? Here are 12 things to avoid to help you get the most out of that precious extra hour.

Updated: December 6, 2020

By MBL Featured Blogger: Paula Henry

Originally Posted: October 22, 2020

Categories: Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, MBL Original Content

The end of Daylight Saving Time is fast approaching, I always look forward to this day because I love that extra hour!

This year, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends on November 1 at 2:00 AM. It was originally suggested by Benjamin Franklin, who was the American delegate to France, as a way to save money. He wrote a satirical piece for the Journal de Paris. In the essay, titled “An Economical Project,” he writes of the thrifty benefits of daylight versus artificial light.” He concludes that rising with the sun would save Parisians a great deal of money, “by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles.”

But for the United States, it wasn’t instituted until WWI and then only temporarily. And reinstated in WWII as part of the “WAR effort”. After that, there was dissension among the states and the government got involved and passed The Uniform Time Act in 1966. And now we permanently have Daylight Saving Time. I always find it interesting that not all areas in the US practice DST. DST is NOT observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and Arizona. The Navajo Nation observes the Daylight Saving Time policy, even in Arizona, due to its large size and location in three states. Which leads to a crazy time warp traveling through the Southwest. Indiana has 2 time zones, Eastern and Central and up until 2006, different counties in the state each had their own take on DST. Yikes, Hoosiers!

I’m glad that our area is easier to understand, and I follow the old adage- “Spring Forward, Fall Back”. So we get an extra hour this weekend. Yippee!!! Fall back is so much better than Spring forward and losing an hour.

So what are you going to do with your extra hour. Most people, me included, would say SLEEP! But really you’re getting an extra hour.

What are you going to do with your hour? I have found a lot of excellent posts out there, like this one, that suggests a laundry list of all of the things you could do, including, take a walk, call your bestie, visit an elderly person, read, meditate, and so on, but I think what you shouldn’t do with your extra hour is just as important!

Leave your comments below and let us know how you are going to use your extra hour!

That the city of Paris might save every year, by the economy of using sunshine instead of candles.

Benjamin Franklin – On instituting daylight savings time in France

Image Gallery

#1 Worry, Worry, Worry

Worry is a waste of time. It does nothing for you mentally, emotionally, and physically. Your body goes into overdrive and is constantly fearing the “What if…” It affects your relationships, your appetite, lifestyle habits, sleep, and job performance. Worry causes physical response too, raises your blood pressure, causes nausea, headaches, and insomnia. It solves nothing. So just stop it dammit! Don’t Worry!

#2 Compare Yourself

Is a better word for compare, ENVY? Her butt is better than mine, Her husband is richer, her house is nicer, cleaner, etc…. Why does that matter? Do you have what you need? Do you have food, a bed, your health? My mantra is – “No matter how much you have, there is always someone richer and blonder than you.” Shout out to all my blonde sistas out there! Don’t Compare!

#3 Pass Judgment

Why do you think we, as humans, judge? Maybe because we want to judge them before they judge us. Like that woman at Walmart with 6+ kids trying to clothe them on a budget. Or the man swerving through traffic and driving like a madman. You’ve already got an opinion about both. Don’t you? But what if – that woman was a foster parent and just took in a bunch of siblings that have nothing, and that man was racing to the hospital to see his mother before she died. Don’t Judge!

#4 Engage In Meanness

There is NEVER, hear me now, Never a reason to be mean. EVER! There is always a way to express yourself, get your point across without being mean. And if someone is mean to you, walk away. Period. Meanness begets meanness. I send my son out the door every morning with a “BE KIND” and “HAVE A GREAT DAY”. Don’t be Mean!

#5 Start an Argument

In our current state of affairs, there are many subjects that can fuel an argument. Politics, race relations, the police department, climate change, Covid-19, quarantine, vaccines, mask mandates – did I forget any. You will not, I repeat, will not change anyone’s mind with an argument. Do you stand strong in your opinions? Be comforted and confident with that. NOTE: I didn’t say cocky! It is not your job to convince the world you’re “right”. You just need to be “right”. Don’t Start an Argument!

#6 Indulge Hate

Hatred is dark and evil. It boils up from somewhere deep inside. Like worry, hate does not serve us well at all. Hate has no possible positive outcome. Hate, when held deep inside, causes the Hater all of the harm, not the Hatee. And Hate that escapes out, rears its ugly head as violence. And we don’t need more violence. Don’t be a hater! You are better than that!

Leave your comments below and let us know how you are going to use your extra hour!

Learn to control what you can, and let go of what you can't.

Dr. Jeb Bishop – NBC's Transplant

#7 Get Angry

Anger and Hate are best friends. They go together and feed one another. Can you have Hate without anger? And can you have Anger without Hate? Ok sure we all get angry, it only serves us if it’s a catalyst for acceptance and/or change. Don’t hang on to anger. and better yet – Don’t Anger!

#8 Mull Regrets

Have ya ever heard the old saying, “Don’t cry over spilled milk.”? That’s a regret. I call it negative energy. It’s after the fact. You can’t change it. Maybe there’s something you can do to fix it. Just clean up the spilled milk. Or apologize, change your path, make restitution, come up with a better solution. No need to waste your extra hour on it. Don’t Indulge Regrets!

#9 Overindulge

It seems in our overly self-absorbed society, overindulgence is the go-to for all that ills you. Whether it be food, drinks, shopping, money, or any sort of hedonism one can think of, overindulgence is thought to be the cure-all. Which leads us back to regret. One always regrets it afterward- hangovers, buyer’s remorse, and the “walk of shame”. It’s a form of self-destruction. Stop, think, and breathe before you do it! Don’t Overindulge!

#10 Question Your Faith

Is that really such a good idea now. Why all of a sudden do we give up on God? What good does that do? No matter what happens now, no matter who gets elected, no matter what hurricane strikes the coast, no matter where, why, and how Covid-19 is plaguing us now, God is with us. I always go back to the saying- God never said it would be easy, he just said he’d be with us all the way. Don’t Question Your Faith!

#11 Dwell On The Uncontrollable

Dwelling on this you cannot control is useless, It solves no problem, it wastes time. I’ve been watching one of the few new shows out now. Transplant on NBC. And the wise, yet gruff leader at the hospital, Dr. Jed Bishop played by one of my faves, John Hannah, says repeatedly in every show, “Learn to control what you can, and let go of what you can’t”. Don’t Dwell on Things you Have No Control Over!

#12 Obsess On Media Reporting

This is more of a practical DON’T. It includes watching the news, political commercials, covid updates, weather reports, social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and even maybe Instagram and Snapchat. Web surfing is also a big No-No. It all brings out Worry, Comparison, Judgement, Meanness, Arguments, Hatred, Anger, Regret, Overindulgence, Questioning your faith, and Dwelling on things you don’t have control over. JUST DON’T!

I know it’s only an hour, but what if we applied these rules to ALL of our time on this earth? What if you changed? What if you didn’t fall into the abyss of these bad habits. Maybe, just maybe, your improvement would rub off on others. You could be the beacon of light in this otherwise gloomy $#@! show that is 2020. And as far as your physical, emotional, and mental health goes, avoiding the 12 toxic behaviors, will yield big returns. So turn that hour of change into a day, a week, a year, or even a lifetime!

Leave your comments below and let us know how you are going to use your extra hour!

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Author Details

Author Details

Paula Henry

Co-Founder & Executive Editor MyBigLIfe.com

Paula Henry earned a BFA in design from William Woods University. She used her design degree in combination with her abundant natural people skills to become a top sales manager and design consultant to architectural firms across North America, representing companies such as Magic Woods, Panolam and RJF International. When her son was born she left the corporate world and assumed the role of stay-at-home mom and CEO of the Henry household, where she honed her skills in the areas of patience, ingenuity, multi-tasking, and knowing when to resort to plan-b. During her free time, she is a highly successful fundraiser for several not-for-profits. Paula serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Editor at MyBigLife.com, which she operates with her husband Jeff.