Grow your best SELF
The risks of dst
Forget the clock face. Life is the turning of the seasons. Ignoring that threatens our wellbeing.
CLZúñiga
11/2/20263 min read
Did you notice how early it got dark yesterday (in the Northern Hemisphere)? That's because "daylight saving time" finally ended and "regular time" is now back in alignment with the natural planetary cycle of day and night based on our rotation around the Sun. Time and especially daylight saving time is man-made but the changing of our seasons isn't.
According to AI, "daylight saving time originated in Germany in 1916 as a wartime measure to conserve energy during World War I. The concept was later adopted by other countries, including the United States in 1918. The initial purpose of daylight saving time was to make better use of daylight and conserve energy. However, its effectiveness in reducing energy consumption has been debated over the years. Arguments for continuing daylight saving time include the benefits of longer evenings for outdoor activities and potential boosts to the economy through increased tourism and recreation. Conversely, arguments against it highlight health risks associated with the time change, such as disruptions to circadian rhythms and increased incidents of adverse health outcomes."
I always find it telling that the "economic gains" argument tends to drive American policy rather than the health risks to our lives. This is certainly true under the current President who is happy to slash environmental health protections, food safety protections, medical and climate science protections, gun safety protections, protections for public parks and national monuments, and corporate accountability regulations while giving corporations huge tax breaks at the expense of the majority of Americans. But poor health for Americans means financial boons for insurance and pharmaceutical corporations, allopathic doctors, and medical supply companies, to name a few beneficiaries.
What's the point of vague "boosts to the economy" when the people living in that economy are worked to death and sickened by poisoned food, water, air, wildlife and lands? Who enjoys "the spoils" then? Certainly not the majority of American tax payers. So let's take a look at the other side of this coin...
At this time of year, the days naturally shorten and the nights naturally lengthen, a pattern that remains in play from the longest, darkest night of the year at the Winter Solstice until the Spring Equinox in March when the length of daylight begins to grow again. Life on Earth is inherently designed to flow with these cycles—from human body system rhythms to our sleep cycles and food intake, to our work hours and crop growing, to springtime wildflowers and wildlife babies. It's the natural way of life on Planet Earth, and it flows this way for reasons that include sustainability and wellness.
Finally off of the man-made "daylight savings time" in which the human clock is shifted to artificially lengthen day time, our body naturally yearns to align with its essential rhythm and wind down earlier with our Sun. But many people resist that. It's "holiday time," after all, and there are preparations to be made, parties to attend and shopping to get done.
That's all fine and good, yet it is true that our "image-driven, consumer-driven culture" can and does easily push things beyond the point of pleasure and into exhaustion and even financial distress for many folks who fall into its trap.
The true vibe of this naturally darker, more still time of year is about moving into a space of deep reflection and connection with the self, others, and the larger landscape of life on Earth with us.
It's about reflecting on the good, bad and ugly of our personal annual harvest, honoring every part of it, and especially the people we laughed, loved and learned with so we can evolve.
It's about allowing the waning daylight and increasing darkness of night to open us to our innermost realities and deepest heart-truths so we can mature.
It's about deepening into what's real and into that which truly matters to us and to the whole of life on this Planet Earth we share so we can uphold the health and happiness of all life on Earth.
In the end, it's about deepening into unadulterated love for ourselves and for the rest of life on this graciously giving, life-sustaining, miraculous and sacred Planet Earth we share, instead of treating it with the disrespect of a serial rapist. Yep, I said it.
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