After turning the clocks forward one hour at 2am on Sunday 7 October, there are always slight adjustments to be made in the days following. But the gains are immense, with more sunlight in the afternoons leading to more time spent outdoors in the warmer months. Here are some ideas about how to spend your extra hour everyday.
Enjoy a midweek barbecue outside
Barbecues are banished in winter to exceptionally sunny weekend lunches, but in summer they can become a weekly midweek dinner special. Pour a cold drink, make a fresh salad and fire up the burners to enjoy a casual meal by twilight. Better yet, make it a weekly tradition!
Get that last load of washing out
With longer and warmer days, there is more time to get washing outside and less urgency to bring it back in. Hanging your clothes outside is better for the environment, your power bills and the clothes themselves, so soak up the sunshine and get the pegs out.
Pull on the joggers after work
Nothing can be better for your mind and body than enjoying a sunset stroll after work. It is an ideal way to mentally distance yourself from the workday and get your legs moving, and is also great for reconnecting with the family away from the demands of the household.
Return to social life
Winter and hibernation tend to go hand-in-hand, so summer naturally beckons the return of social living. Organise to meet for a coffee or a drink with friends, arrange a dinner either at a restaurant or at your home… make the most of the sunshine by celebrating all the relationships in your life.
Be spontaneous!
While planning to be spontaneous isn’t exactly part of the plan, changing your mindset to embrace spontaneity is. Pack a picnic basket and enjoy a twilight picnic at the park, or throw a few towels into the car and take an afternoon drive to the beach, watching the waves in the orange light of sunset.
