Sarah Barnes: How to Handle the Clocks Going Back
Come October every year like ‘clockwork’, we fall back into fall as it naturally gets darker and DST (daylight savings time) means the clocks go back and we gain an extra hour of the day. This may sound appealing as we are granted another hour of cosy sleep in bed but we can not underestimate the impact this has on our bodies, skin and sleep cycles. The body clock, yet invisible to us all, is incredibly powerful.
Your circadian rhythm is the body’s natural 24-hour cycle and is responsible for much more than just sleep and wakefulness. Brain wave activity, hormone production, body temperature, skin cell regeneration, mental alertness and mood and stress levels are also all linked to your internal biological clock.
So can one little hour really cause that much of an effect? It is very common to feel lethargic, irritable and suffer from dull skin when the clocks shift. However, remember that DST is an environmental change, not genetic, so we have the power to adjust our behaviour, practise good sleep hygiene and listen to our body’s natural rhythm to rebalance and beat the clock.
We all get by with a little help from our friends and these Neal’s Yard Remedies products will help you to go easy on yourself as the seasons change…
Which products will help me handle the clocks going back?
1. Honey & Orange Facial Scrub
Is your skin in sync? A change in temperature both in your body and outside can throw off the skin’s natural rejuvenation process. This scrub uses organic rice powder to deeply exfoliate and remove dead cells, while honey and natural neroli oil soften and nourish the skin underneath. Leaving you with a renewed layer to start fresh and care for. Top tip – remove in small circles with a gentle cloth for extra exfoliation.
2. Sensitive Restore + Smooth Serum
You may find your skin reacts and breaks out if your sleep schedule is off balance. This targeted serum uses fermented oat and helichrysum flowers to rebalance reactive and sensitive skin, calming it down from the inside out. Apply morning and evening by incorporating facial massage, focusing extra attention along the jawline and glabella (inner eyebrow area) where we naturally hold a lot of tension.
3. Seaweed and Arnica Bath Salts
Struggling to fall asleep? Start early with a long drawn bath and shake in a handful of bath salts. Infused with arnica (to relax sore muscles) and lavender and pine essential oils, they will create a fragrant steam that can help clear congested respiratory passages and relax your heart rate and breathing before bed.
4. Beauty Sleep Body Butter
Fresh out of the bath, apply this rich body butter in long upward strokes towards your heart. This helps to improve lymphatic drainage and circulation around the body. Calming ylang ylang and nourishing shea butter will really hydrate dull skin. Top tip – rub over any pressure points on your feet as a form of reflexology, as remember your whole body is connected and your feet get tired too.
5. Goodnight Pillow Mist
Spray your bedding with this best-selling pillow mist. Organic lavender and vetiver essential oils will not only give you a beautiful relaxing smell to breathe in, but they will help focus and soothe a racing mind before bed. Lulling you into a more content sleep and re-balancing your circadian rhythm and decreasing stress levels.
Change your bedtime routine to coach your body into a heather sleep schedule. Swap blue light scrolling on your phone for a bamboo diffuser.
7. Aromatherapy Blend – Night Time
Pair your diffuser with a beautiful essential oil blend to create an aromatherapy-infused mist that will fill your room and help you drift off slowly. Your body will soon recognise that this smell links to a good night’s sleep.
8. Quiet Time Tea
If you rise early in the morning, instead of checking emails right away, causing your brain to rapidly switch on and engage, take ten and pour yourself a Quiet Time Tea. Practice saying five things you are grateful for, not only will this give you a calm perspective and lift your mood but you will rehydrate your body first thing after it has lost water overnight.
9. Remedies to Roll – Meditation
Coupling theory is the idea of coupling behaviours together so they become synced. Each morning when you drink your tea, couple this with ten minutes of mediation. This roll-on remedy is an aromatherapy blend of frankincense and warm sandalwood that helps create a moment of calmness. Apply to your pulse points and meditate or start with some dynamic stretching, you will soon feel naturally energised and find it hard to do one without the other each morning.
Words: Sarah Barnes
