It’s Day 4 of Blogtober. Today’s suggested prompt is “In Defense of Shorter Days: Argue for the benefits of fewer daylight hours and how it shapes our productivity and mindset.” Instead, I’m going to write about embracing the shorter autumn days:
From the autumn equinox (which took place on 22 September 2024), when day and night are about equal, our days begin to get shorter. It gradually gets dark earlier in the evening and it doesn’t get lighter until later in the morning. Days will continue to shorten until the winter solstice in December, which this year falls on 21st December, the shortest night of the year.
I often think back to our ancestors at this time of year and how they lived their days around the sun rising and setting. At this time of year, I struggle to get up early for the school run and I feel tired in the evening as it feels later than it is. However, my working day and to-do list don’t get any shorter. Since the invention of electricity and the creation of artificial light, we can easily get up early in the dark of the morning and stay up late during the dark of the night. This has affected our sleep rhythms and I suspect had a huge mental and physical effect on humans over the years.
I would love it if as a nation we embraced the shorter days. |f work and school could open later and close earlier during the autumn and winter months. I know it would be a logistical nightmare but so beneficial for our wellbeing. I’m lucky to be self-employed and work from home. For many people at this time of year they go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. They may not get to be outdoors in natural daylight all day, for months at a time.
I can’t change office and school hours for everyone but I can try and embrace the shorter days in my own way:
Wake up Later
As we ease into Autumn, I’m starting to hit snooze on the alarm. Of course, I still have to get up in time for the school run, but I allow myself to get up as late as I can. At the moment, here, the sun rises about 7.30am, which still gives me enough time. By the winter solstice, the sun rises at 8.25am, which is when the kids already have to be at school. However, this means we can still have a lay in until 7.30am and we’ll get to enjoy the sunrise during the school run.
Do Less
I’m not sure how I’m going to manage this but heading into the shorter days, I feel I need to do less. School, work, family and club commitments still have to be prioritised but where I can, I need to start saying no and factor in time for myself to rest at this time of year.
Go to Bed Earlier
I need to go to bed earlier (she says at 1am writing her Blogtober post!). Humans should aim to go to sleep two to three hours after the sun sets. Currently, the sun sets at about 7pm. That means it’s best to go to bed by 10pm at the latest. I would find that really difficult. However, I need to start being strict and it doesn’t matter if I’ve not cleared my to-do list, instead to stop working when I get to a certain time so I do get to wind down in the evening, get cosy and get enough sleep.
Make the Most of the Daylight Hours
As the amount of daylight hours are shortening, we need to make the most of them and get outdoors when we can. I’m (still!) trying to get fit. I try to fit in an exercise video every morning. I should replace that with a walk every day (why oh why do I live on a steep hill?). We want to add a dog to the family soon too so I should get used to the extra walking we’ll be doing! As you know, I love going for walks, but with the family, I need to get out and about on my own too. On dry days, I could also wrap up and take a coffee break in the garden to make the most of the daylight hours we have and get my daily dose of vitamin D.
How will you embrace the shorter days?
Read more: Blogtober posts
