Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. As you all no doubt already know, Daylight Savings Time kicked back in for most of us here in the U.S. yesterday so I thought I’d focus on that today. I’ve actually blogged about it before, discussing the history and trivia (you can see the post HERE).
Today I’m going to discuss Daylight Savings Time with a bit of a different twist. Twice a year, millions of people become time travelers—no DeLorean or TARDIS necessary, just the simple (yet strangely chaotic) shift into Daylight Saving Time. One minute it’s 1:59 AM, and the next, it’s 3:00 AM. Or, if you live in Arizona or Hawaii, it’s… just another normal night.
DST is more than just a simple clock adjustment though. It’s emotional jet lag, a productivity thief, and a reminder that time isn’t as fixed as we like to think it is. And if you’ve ever felt weirdly out of sync after the time change, you’re not alone—your brain is still catching up.
Why does losing an hour feel so weird? When we fly across time zones, we expect jet lag. But DST tricks us into thinking we should adjust instantly—after all, it’s just an hour! Yet, research shows our bodies aren’t easily fooled. Sleep patterns get disrupted, focus drifts, and studies even show an increase in workplace mistakes and cranky moods – so if you’re feeling extra irritable today, you have an excuse.
Then there’s the global time-travel confusion. The U.S. changes clocks before Europe does. Not to mention that there are some countries that abandoned “springing forward” altogether. In a world of digital meetings and international calls, this means that for a few weeks, people in different countries experience a bizarre limbo where time zones don’t quite line up as expected. If you’ve ever missed a Zoom call in March because someone got the conversion wrong, you know the struggle.
As a rule, our minds are fascinated by the concept of time—there’s a reason time travel stories are so popular. But we’re also terrible at handling personal disruptions to it. Psychologists say it’s because we don’t perceive time in a strict, linear way; instead, we experience it based on our routine and memory. So, when DST throws that off, it feels like an alternate timeline where nothing is quite right—our alarms feel too early, the sun sets at the “wrong” time, and our productivity takes a hit.
And if you live in Arizona or Hawaii, watching the rest of the country scramble around time changes must feel like sitting outside a sci-fi movie, completely unaffected while everyone else stumbles through a time loop.
But instead of dreading the time change, what if we reframed it? For those who do observe DST, it’s one of the only moments when an entire society experiences a shift in time together. And for those who don’t? Well, they get to watch the rest of us struggle.
Either way, DST is proof that time isn’t as rigid as we assume. If it can be altered, stretched, or manipulated, maybe we have more control over our perception of time than we think we do. So, as we “spring forward,” give yourself grace, be patient with your groggy brain, and if you accidentally show up early or late for something this week, just tell everyone you’re a time traveler.
So do you have trouble adjusting to the ‘time change’ or do you reacclimate quickly? Do you have stories of missing appointments or schedules because of forgetting to take the time change into account?
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Winnie Griggs is the author of Historical (and occasionally Contemporary) romances that focus on Small Towns, Big Hearts, Amazing Grace. She is also a list maker, a lover of dragonflies and holds an advanced degree in the art of procrastination.
Three of Winnie’s books have been nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and one of those nominations resulted in a win.
Winnie loves to hear from readers. You can connect with her on facebook at www.facebook.com/WinnieGriggs.Author or email her at winnie@winniegriggs.com.
I have an awful time adjusting to DST. I much prefer ST.
I actually prefer DST because I like the extra daylight in the evening rather than the morning. But I just wish they’d leave it one way or the other and quit changing it twice a year
The first few days after the time change are difficult for the kids, but we get through it. I wish we could just be done with it altogether.
Same!!
I don’t recall now if it was springing forward or falling back an hour that once caused me to go to church on Sunday at the wrong time. Ever since I’ve been vigilant about keeping track and changing (or asking my husband to change) all our clocks.
Thanks for running the giveaway; it sounds like your new book will be enjoyable reading!
I have a feeling you are not the only one who’s ever done that 🙂
Our pastor did a one call to remind people to change our clocks on Saturday, but forgot to change his. Sunday morning our pastor’s wife came into church an hour before services were supposed to start to do music practice and for prayer. She was amazed at how many cars were at the church an hour before church. She made a comment about starting music practice and was told music practice was completed as well as prayer. She hadn’t realized until then that their clocks hadn’t been changed. Personally I hate the time change. I would like to stay on standard time year around.
Oh how funny! He must have heard about that for weeks 🙂
Good morning Winnie! There was the Tim I got to church with my children early. Not a soul around! I thought the rapture happened! But, the Lord wouldn’t leave my children! LOL My family laughed about that!
I only like DST. So, I’m always happy when it comes around! Thanks for time traveling article! I have read a few time travel romances in my day!
I do like a good time travel romance too! ? Jude devereaux’s a knight in shining armor was one of the first I ever read and I loved it
I HATE it – the animals don’t tell time they go by the sun and how many hours it is up! Like the Indian said how can you cut off an inch from the top of a blanket add it to the bottom and say it is different??
Love that!
When we lived in Ehrenberg, Arizona, we kept a set of two clocks. My husband worked in Blyhe, California and I worked in Quartzsite, Arizona as a librarian. We also attended church in Ca. We were always on time.
Kudos for you and your time management skills! 🙂
I have no problem with the time change until this one where my husband changed everything the wrong way.
Oh noooooo!!
I think we all have problems with the time change at any time. I wish they would just put it on DST and leave it alone. I like the lighter time in the evenings. They only change the time for about 4 months anyway. About the time you get use to it they are changing it again.
Amen!
I do not like daylight savings time and never have. No, I have never missed an appt. or anything. I lose an hour, just like everyone else and soon get in the swing. It is my opinion this is a wasted effort and should be abolished, once and for all. Have a blessed day and week.
I have always had trouble dealing with time change. A handful of years ago, I came up with an idea. I was hoping beyond hope that it would work. LOL And that is for that week that time changed I would not put any appointments etc., in my calendar. I actually marked that week OFF. And I love it, because I can let my body adjust. Than I am good to go again.
I do NOT like time change! I don’t mind in November when it get that extra hour, but losing that hour throws me off big time!! Our church attendance was down yesterday, and I’m sure time change had a lot to do with it! When I worked out of the house, I had to “trick” myself by shutting all of the blinds before it was actually dark, since it stays light so late. Now that I work from home, I don’t have to do that so much.
adjust
I hate it! I am exhausted for several days and feel like everything is off. I wish it would be completely done away with.
I don’t have a problem with the time change, when there was talk about taking it away, I was hoping they wouldn’t, because it has been around all my life and it would be too weird for my liking.
The struggle is real…. and you think it would get better every year, but… not such luck.
One year, when my son was young I forgot to change the clock in the fall. We were early to church, so made a breakfast date out of it.
Hi, no I have not had any problems on being late or too early for things, we usually change the clocks before we go to bed. The one I find the hardest to adjust to is the Spring forward, I dont mind the Fall back at all, but the change to Spring forward is harder for me, Wouldn’t it be nice if they just left it alone. Have a Great day. I enjoyed reading your post.
I really don’t like the time change. I have trouble sleeping the first few days. I wish they would leave it one way or the other. I enjoyed reading the post. Have a great day.
My general only issue with time change is remembering to change my insulin pump’s time so I get the correct doses at the right times. Although as I get older, it is a bit harder to get out of bed that first day we spring forward.
Then there’s the fall back where that first night I want to go to bed “early”. I’ve never missed appointments or anything because the changes happen on the weekend.
I am not a fan of DST. It would be fine if we were on it all the time but since we have to switch back and forth it messes up my sleep patterns big time. lol When our children were small I would not always know when the time changed and we would end up at church, the only ones there. Yesterday I messed up and set the clocks back an hour instead of forward. I got up and got ready to go to SS then came downstairs, picked up my phone and saw that it was 9:17 instead of 7:17. I even asked Alexa to be sure. She said, “the time is 9:17”. I never thought I would live to see myself asking a machine for the correct time. LOL I am getting old, too old for all these changes. Oh my goodness, just realized I will be 78 this month.
Thanks for an interesting post. I think it takes a few days for me to get used to the time change.
I always have a difficult time adjusting for days to the new time change.
I don’t have any problem adjusting to the time change. I change my clock early like 10 or 11 pm so I don’t forget and then I go by that for when I go to sleep so it doesn’t mess with me.
I believe once when I was a kid, we were late for church, well, we missed Sunday school because of the time change.
As you get older this time change is not for you…. It takes us a week or more to finally get our bodies & sleep pattern to where we can finally sleep & function. Need to stay on one time & not switch back & forth…just, our take.
I do well with “Fall Back” but “Spring Ahead” does me in. I get to bed way too late as it is and losing that hour in the morning does me no favors. I really think they should just leave it at Standard Time. Farmers work pretty much from sun-up to sun-down anyway and their cows don’t shift with DST. Yes we get some extra time to play outside in the evenings, but it is at the expense of children who have to wait for the school bus in the dark or walk to school when it isn’t quite light. It is rather selfish for adults to want more play time at the expense of children’s safety and their academic success. It is hard enough for them to do well as early as they go to school now. I am a firm night owl and not a morning person, but I would gladly give the sunshine to the morning people, children, farmers, and their cows.
I hate the start of DST. I wish they would keep it on the same time yeararound.