Transitions can be tricky, particularly when we feel resistance toward them.
Last month, I was reminded that we were approaching what neuroscientist, Matt Walker, labeled the “global experiment” called daylight saving time. I instantly began dreading the 60-minute shift forward that I will go through. As I sat with thoughts of dread, marinating in my memories of this springing forward of time, my angst began to soften and I started to become curious.
What could help me stop resisting and dreading this inevitable transition?
Mindfully observing my thoughts, it became clear. While my resistance is in part because the transition is not my choice, my upset was more about the nature of the transition. In fact, I don’t view it as a transition at all, but rather as a jolt. My body feels like it is physically catapulted forward into the next day, while my internal clock is still in the previous time zone. It feels like jet lag.
“That’s it!” I thought.
It may not be practical for me to move somewhere that doesn’t observe daylight saving time, but I could explore ways to make the upcoming transition easier for myself. I set out to experiment with setting my alarm clock to sound 2-minutes earlier each day for the month prior to the “official” time change.
I am now thirteen days in and woke up twenty-six minutes earlier this morning than I did on February 10. My hope is continuing this practice will allow me to move into daylight saving time in a way that honors my mind, body and spirit’s desire for a gentler transition.
What have I noticed so far?
I wake up each morning feeling the same as I did the previous day. I don’t feel like I am forcing myself to get out of bed. I don’t reach for a second or third cup of coffee – my previous coping mechanism for this shift in time. I am winding down a few minutes earlier at night – my body seems to be moving to this new schedule naturally. This small shift in my routine has not produced any negative impacts on those I care about, including my puppy. And most importantly, the thoughts of dread about this upcoming transition have all but disappeared. I am no longer using mental energy resisting this inevitable shift of time.
I share this story with an invitation to consider whether there are transitions in your life that could benefit from some curiosity and in turn a softening of your resistance to them. Reflecting on the questions below could be helpful in designing your personal gentleness experiment.
What about this transition am I feeling resistance toward?
What would it look like to approach this transition more gently?
How could I best support myself during this transition?
