What will you do with your extra hour today?

Even as a child (some 20 years ago - surely) I always got excited when the clocks went back, because we gained that hour in the day. I used to dream about what I’d do with that extra hour.

In my childhood, I’d get to play out for longer the night of the clocks going back; hopscotch, French skippies, playing on the building sites (yes even climbing in the big diggers) and catchy kissy were the choice of game, whether rain, wind, snow, or shine.

In my teens, I’d be able to stay at a friend’s house for longer listening to music and dancing (anything from DMR to OMD to Madness and the Specials) or playing with my Pippa dolls (I never had a Barbie, and my mam would say it was because I was the youngest – what the actual…). In my 20s it would be a great hangover cure, having that extra hour in bed recovering. It was like a miracle cure in itself. Didn’t work as much when I’d spent that extra hour in a nightclub though.

I always remember my mam and dad would get up on the morning and spend their hour manually changing the clocks back and thinking what a bloody waste; thankfully we have Alexa and mobile phones and digital clocks at home now, so no more manual faffing. So, what to do with my extra hour today?

That extra hour is a bit like when you win or find a tenna and then keep telling yourself it’s okay to keep spending because you have an extra tenna. £100 later buying on Amazon and you realise that it must stop.

So, what will you do with your extra hour today? I’ve already used 4 hours of my 1 hour by having a lie in and now doing this blog, so I’m pretty much done, although I’m out this afternoon meeting some friends so my belief of having that extra hour will continue throughout the day. At 7pm when I’m planning on coming home (because it’s a school night and I’m out from 2pm and a bit of a lightweight these days), I’ll convince myself to stay an extra hour.

It's good to remember that being given something – like an extra hour – can change the mindset in a positive way.

There are lots of things we can give ourselves every day that will have the same effect. Waking up knowing we’ve had an extra hour or a good night’s sleep, and that it’ll be a bit lighter this evening can set us off for making today a great one.

Happy Sunday – happy extra hour – happy clock’s going back day.