Why Bedtime Strategies Fail Us
n the past, I’ve tried every logistical strategy to make the time change easier. I tried adjusting bedtime by ten minutes every night. I tried staying up later to make me tired enough to fall asleep earlier.
None of these strategies was ever a surefire bet. Honestly, it sometimes just felt like dumb luck when they would work or not. I'll never forget the time I realized I’d worked super diligently to adjust our bedtimes, only to screw them up two weeks later when we spent a week in a time zone three hours ahead of ours!
The Shift: Attitude Over Action
What I’ve learned is that my attitude has a bigger impact than my actions. I’m not saying throw caution or intuition to the wind. I’m saying be as intentional about your state of being—how well you support yourself and your kids emotionally through the time change—with even more diligence than the specific actions you take.
Because when you support yourself emotionally, you’re better prepared for almost anything. Strategy backfired on you or had an unforeseeable negative impact? Ambushed by a surprise midnight bedwetting or a dog barking like mad because the neighbor’s cat decided to stroll through your yard that night? You’ll be okay because you’re practicing self-empathy and understanding this week.
The "Empowered Plate" in Action
Now that I have an EMPOWERED plate, I feel in control of my day, no matter what else is going on around me. This time change is POWERLESS to affect me; it's like water rolling off a duck’s back.
This morning, my family was SO tired from the time change—but we did great! Despite all that should have stressed me out, like dragging myself and my son out of bed a whole hour earlier after a night of all of us feeling wide awake for hours past normal bedtime, NONE OF THAT stood in my way this morning.
That’s because I was fueled up. My soul was fed. And I was fired up—not burnt out.
I didn’t yell. I didn’t lose my temper. I didn’t utter one unkind, grumpy word through my sleepy state. Usually, it’s those of us in charge, running the show, who are at the greatest risk of losing our cool before we’ve even gotten out the door (“For the 5th time, just put your shoes on or no dessert tonight!!”).
Sure, our kids might melt down at the sight of slightly overcrisped toast for breakfast. But when I’m fueled up, it’s like I can access this invisible supply of more time, energy, and support, and I can handle anything! When I’m starting the day feeling depleted… well, let’s just say it’s a lose-lose scenario for everybody.
The "Backdoor" Strategy for More Energy
I know it doesn't seem like 10 minutes of listening to a simple audio MP3 can save my whole day, but taking a few fast minutes to regulate my nervous system changes the game. It takes the unnecessary, unpleasant, and unhelpful things I don’t want OFF my plate so I can make room for what I DO want.
Stop trying to get more done with less energy. Start getting MORE with LESS EFFORT.
If you’re feeling behind from that one less hour yesterday, tired from how it threw off your routine, or wishing that you didn’t feel set up for failure by things out of your control—like a clock—listen to our simple energy clearing. It’s fast, it’s free, and it INSTANTLY gets you back to feeling calm, cool, and in control of your plate.
