Anyone actually spring forward?
The clock change does more to your body than steal an hour. Here's what's actually happening.
Was anyone else really struggling to spring forward last week?
I ask because I certainly struggled. I'm writing this a week late, with a box of tissues next to my laptop and a cup of tea that's gone cold for the third time. I've had a cold for over two weeks — and for someone whose literal job is health and wellness, that voice crept in pretty quickly: "You should be bouncing back faster. You know better."
But here's what I've been sitting with: the timing of all of this is not a coincidence. The clock change, the season, the depleted immune system — they're all connected. And I think a lot of us felt it last week, whether we were sick or not. So let's talk about it.
Why Your Body Is Struggling Right Now
The clock change did something real to you.
Losing one hour doesn't sound like much, but researchers have documented a 24% increase in heart attacks and a 12% rise in fatal car crashes in the days and weeks following the spring clock change. The reason is circadian misalignment — sunlight is your body's most powerful biological cue, and shifting the clocks gives you more evening light (when your body wants to wind down) and less morning light (when it needs to wake up). Your internal clock and the clock on your wall are now out of sync at a cellular level.
"Our body is filled with clocks that coordinate everything we do. We can't shift a full hour overnight. That shift could be the tipping point." — Dr. Emily Manoogian, Salk Institute
Early spring is a vulnerable window — especially for immunity.
Right now, your vitamin D and melatonin levels are at their lowest combined point of the entire year. The days are longer, but the sun isn't yet strong enough to meaningfully rebuild vitamin D stores. And vitamin D isn't just about bones — it regulates over 1,000 genes, including the ones governing your immune response. Getting sick in early spring isn't a failure. It's your immune system navigating its most depleted season.
Your brain chemistry is in transition too.
Serotonin production is directly tied to sunlight exposure. It's been suppressed all winter and is only beginning to recover — which explains the disrupted sleep, lower motivation, and emotional sensitivity that so many of us feel right now. These are not character flaws. They are chemistry.
The Cascade (And Why It's Not Your Fault)
It starts with one missed workout. Then another. Then the thought of getting back to your routine feels strangely huge. Eating becomes less intentional. Sleep is disrupted. And underneath it all: "I was doing so well. What's wrong with me?"
Here's the thing: that spiral is physiologically predictable. When you're sick, your body redirects energy away from "optional" functions like exercise performance and toward the work of fighting infection. The fatigue isn't weakness — it's prioritisation. Expecting your full routine while sick is like expecting your phone to run at full speed while installing a major update. It can't. That's not a flaw in the design.
What Self-Compassion Actually Sounds Like
Dr. Kristin Neff describes self-compassion as three things working together: treating yourself as you'd treat a good friend, recognising that struggle is a universal human experience, and holding your feelings without letting them spiral into catastrophe. Applied to right now, that sounds like:
A note to yourself 🌿
"I'm sick during the hardest time of year for the immune system. Rest isn't giving up — it's good strategy."
"I would never tell a friend she was failing because she missed workouts with a fever."
"This is a hard week. Just this week. It doesn't erase the progress I've made."
What Actually Helps
Save this image for future reference. You’re welcome!
While you're still recovering:
• Protect your sleep above everything else. It's doing more for you right now than any workout you're skipping.
• Get outside for light, even briefly. Ten minutes of natural light helps anchor your circadian rhythm and begins rebuilding your serotonin response — no intensity required.
• Eat enough. Your immune system runs on nutrients. Simple, nourishing foods — soups, eggs, anything you can actually stomach — over restriction every time.
• Dim lights and screens after 8pm. The clock change has already delayed your melatonin onset. Even small reductions in evening light meaningfully support sleep.
When you're ready to return:
• Start with one anchor habit, not everything at once. Morning light, a short walk, a protein-first breakfast — pick one and let it be enough.
• Return at 60% effort, not 100%. Trying to make up for lost time is how people get sick again. Meet your body where it is. Progress returns faster when you don't force it.
• Reframe the question. Not "how far behind am I?" but "what does a gentle re-entry look like today?"
The Short Version
Your body isn't broken. It's navigating a clock change that disrupts its fundamental rhythms, the lowest vitamin D and melatonin levels of the year, and for some of us, an infection on top of all of that.
The answer to all of this is not harder discipline. It's more intelligent care — rest, light, food, and talking to yourself the way you'd talk to someone you love.
That's not weakness. That's the foundation of everything sustainable.
Until next time — take good care of yourself. I mean that literally this week.
With warmth,
Sally
P.S. A note for readers in the Southern Hemisphere 🌏
If you're reading this from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or anywhere south of the equator, your seasonal experience right now is the reverse of everything above. You're heading into autumn, not out of winter, which means:
Your days are shortening, not lengthening. Rather than serotonin beginning to recover, yours is starting its seasonal dip. If you've noticed your mood, motivation, or energy subtly shifting in the past few weeks, this is why — and it's worth paying attention to now rather than waiting until it deepens into winter.
Vitamin D production is beginning to decline. This is a good time to get your levels checked if you haven't recently, and to make the most of midday sun while it's still strong enough to be useful.
Your immune system faces a similar vulnerability, for different reasons. The transition into autumn brings its own disruption — changing temperatures, shortening light, and the seasonal shift in virus circulation. The same tips apply: prioritise sleep, get outside during daylight hours while you have them, and eat enough.
Some of you also have a clock change coming. Australia and New Zealand move back to standard time in April — which research suggests is less physiologically disruptive than springing forward, but still worth preparing for with consistent sleep and morning light habits in the weeks ahead.
The self-compassion piece? Universal. Seasonal transitions are hard on the body regardless of which direction they're heading. Be patient with yourself either way.
Sources and further reading:
Daylight Saving Time & Heart Attacks Sandhu, A., Seth, M., & Gurm, H.S. (2014). Daylight savings time and myocardial infarction. Open Heart, 1(1), e000019. https://doi.org/10.1136/openhrt-2013-000019Also cited by the American Heart Association (2024): newsroom.heart.org
Fatal Car Crashes & the Spring Clock Change Woods, A.N., Weast, R.A., & Monfort, S.S. (2025). Daylight saving time and fatal crashes: The impact of changing light conditions. Journal of Safety Research, 93, 200–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2025.02.010
Circadian Misalignment & the Spring Transition American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2020). Daylight saving time: An AASM position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(10). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7954020/
Dr. Emily Manoogian Quote — Circadian Biology Manoogian, E. (2026, March). Interview cited in: Times of San Diego. timesofsandiego.com/health/2026/03/07/daylight-saving-time-harms-health-safety-risks/
Vitamin D, Immunity & Seasonal Vulnerability National Institutes of Health / NCBI. Vitamin D: Production, Metabolism, and Mechanism of Action. Endotext (updated 2025). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278935/
Vitamin D, Melatonin & Early Spring Low Point Institute for Functional Medicine (n.d.). How the Changing Seasons Impact Nutrition, Health, & the Body's Internal Clock. https://www.ifm.org/podcast/seasons-nutrition-health-circadian-rhythm
Serotonin, Seasonal Light & Mood Bedrosian, T.A., & Nelson, R.J. (2017). Timing of light exposure affects mood and brain circuits. Translational Psychiatry, 7(1). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0694-0
Self-Compassion Framework Neff, K.D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/1529886030903
Neff, K.D. (2023). Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 74, 193–218. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047