Setting the clock for our wellbeing - Emma Coonan

It is that time of year again, as many of us enjoyed an “extra” hour in bed last weekend. It is a change some of us love and some hate, but however you feel about it, the changing of the clocks has become one of the marked symbols of the Halloween season.

As I reflected on the tradition of Daylight Savings Time, I started to read a little into the history of it. Interestingly, it seems the philosophy of rising earlier to utilise the morning light was advocated for by many who saw the benefits of Summer light saving, long before a literal clock change was implemented each year.

This got me thinking about how and why we need the clock to guide us, particularly when it comes to our wellbeing.

A Race Against Time

These days I hear more and more people talking about how busy they are, and how everything just seems to have increased in speed, particularly since the pandemic. In the early stage of the ‘post-pandemic’ world, it seemed like people were trying to make up for lost time. After two plus years of slowing down, the race against time was on.

Another two plus years later, it feels as though the race is still on. One has to wonder if any of us know anymore who we are racing with, and how we will know if we’ve reached the finish line. For many, the finish line seems to keep moving with us.
A very wise person once told me that time doesn’t change, it is us who speed up or slow down. Time just is.

Hearing this in the midst of the early ‘post-pandemic’ rush gave me a welcome pause. As I embarked last weekend on that familiar adjustment to the “extra” hour, I found myself thinking again about these wise words, and allowed myself to take pause once more.

Making Our Own Time

The clock is a constant companion for most us these days. Whether it’s the school bell calling time on class, or the countdown clock on the train platform telling us whether we will be early or late for work, or that wrist watch that not only tells the time but also how many steps we have taken today. It can sometimes feel as though we are not only guided by the clock, but hostage to it.

The idea those early risers of the 18th Century had, that we could get up an hour earlier even if our clocks did not dictate it, is an interesting one. It sounds so simple and achievable in principle, however in practice without the demand of deadlines and expectations, it may not be so easy.

The introduction of Daylight Savings Time and a clock change to guide us twice a year is perhaps evidence of this.
While our ancestors were usually rising early to tend the land or to save on candles, their ability to do this before the clocks changed is a reminder that we can make our own time, regardless of the clock.

Whether that’s working the farm, or simply enjoying the sunrise with a cup of tea, giving ourselves permission to make our own time can help us feel more settled amidst the rush and race of the world.

Making Time for Wellbeing this Autumn

There has been much conversation about whether or not Daylight Savings Time will continue, however it seems a definitive decision still awaits us. I do wonder if the clocks didn’t change anymore, would we still rise earlier in the Summer to enjoy the early morning light, or would we settle into the routine of an unchanged clock.

It is tempting to consider that we might, if we choose to, uphold what has becomes a familiar practice, or perhaps enjoy the experience of constancy of time without that change.

Perhaps is it only by setting the clock aside that we can give ourselves permission to do the things that feel right for us, at a time that feels right for us too.

This week, against the backdrop of Halloween ghosts and ghouls, witches and wizards, why not take a moment to step away from the clock and do something for your wellbeing. Perhaps an Autumn walk without a destination, or a visit down memory lane to watch an old favourite Halloween movie. Whatever you choose, why not explore what it is like without the companion of the clock, if only for a little while.

A final thought..

It can feel difficult to slow down in a world that seems to be moving so quickly. However if we can remember that time just is, it can help us to take pause, set our clocks aside, and enjoy the present moment.

Emma Coonan (pioctured above) is an Accredited Psychotherapist with IAHIP and ICP, Lectures in Psychotherapy, and is a qualified Adult Education Trainer. After leaving Coláiste Phobal Roscrea, Emma studied English and Media in Maynooth University, before combining her Psychotherapy training with experience in the corporate world. Emma focuses on applying Psychotherapy practices for everyday living, through developing resilience, stress response, and mindfulness practice.