March carries two powerful transitions.
On Sunday, March 8, we set our clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time.
On Friday, March 20, we welcome the Spring Equinox, when day and night are nearly equal in length and astronomical spring begins in the Northern Hemisphere.
Both shifts affect more than our schedules. They influence our nervous system, circadian rhythm, sleep, mood, and sense of internal balance.
Let’s talk about what is happening physiologically and how to support your body through it.
Daylight Saving Time: What Happens in the Body
Daylight Saving Time involves advancing the clock by one hour. While this seems minor, research shows even a one-hour shift can disrupt circadian rhythms.
The National Sleep Foundation explains that abrupt time changes can temporarily disrupt sleep cycles and internal biological clocks. Our circadian rhythm is regulated by light exposure, particularly morning light. When clocks move forward, we lose an hour of sleep opportunity and shift the timing of light cues that regulate melatonin and cortisol.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, circadian misalignment following spring time changes has been associated with short-term sleep disturbance, mood changes, and decreased alertness.
For some people, especially those already managing stress, trauma recovery, ADHD, anxiety, or burnout, even subtle rhythm disruption can feel magnified.
You might notice:
Feeling slightly “off” or foggy
Irritability
Difficulty falling asleep
Increased sensitivity
A subtle spike in nervous system activation
This is not weakness. It is physiology adjusting to altered light timing.
Circadian Rhythm and the Nervous System
Your nervous system relies on predictable patterns. Light is one of the strongest external regulators of the body clock.
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences describes circadian rhythms as internal processes that follow a roughly 24-hour cycle and respond primarily to light and darkness in the environment.
When light timing changes suddenly, the body needs time to recalibrate. During this adjustment window, your stress response system may be slightly more reactive.
This is why grounding practices become especially important during clock changes.
Supporting the Body Through the Time Shift
Here are gentle ways to help your nervous system adapt to Daylight Saving Time:
1. Anchor to Morning Light
Expose your eyes to natural morning light within 30 to 60 minutes of waking. This helps reset circadian timing and supports melatonin regulation later that evening.
Step outside for five minutes if possible. Even cloudy daylight helps.
2. Prioritize Evening Wind-Down
Dim lights earlier in the evening. Reduce blue light exposure from screens before bed.
Consistency supports recalibration.
3. Regulate Through the Body
Instead of pushing productivity, return to sensation.
Try this grounding practice the week of the time change:
Clock Change Grounding Practice
Stand with both feet on the floor.
Gently bend your knees slightly.
Feel the weight of your body drop through your heels.
Take one slow exhale longer than your inhale.
Look around and name three neutral objects.
Let your body know nothing is wrong. It is simply adjusting.
Grounding restores predictability.
Spring Equinox: Light and Dark in Balance
On March 20, the Spring Equinox occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness worldwide. The National Weather Service confirms this marks the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
Symbolically and physiologically, the equinox represents balance.
After the abrupt shift of Daylight Saving Time, the equinox invites regulation.
Winter has been a season of conservation.
Spring becomes a season of gradual expansion.
Not forced growth.
Not sudden transformation.
Gradual re-emergence.
Moving From Winter to Spring Somatically
In winter, many nervous systems naturally lean toward slower rhythms. Reduced daylight influences melatonin and serotonin regulation, contributing to lower energy for some individuals. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that seasonal shifts in light exposure can influence mood and circadian function.
As light increases, energy rises.
But if your system has been conserving for months, sudden activation can feel overwhelming.
Somatic awareness helps bridge this transition.
Instead of asking:
“What should I be doing this spring?”
Try asking:
“What is my body ready for?”
Maybe it is:
Five minutes outdoors instead of an hour
Gentle stretching instead of intense workouts
Opening windows before reorganizing the house
Walking slowly instead of rushing
Balance honors capacity.
Connecting to the Earth as Regulation
Time outdoors has measurable mental health benefits. A 2019 study published in Nature Sustainability found that individuals who spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature reported better health and well-being outcomes compared to those who did not (White et al., 2019).
Nature provides sensory cues of safety:
Organic shapes
Rhythmic sound patterns
Natural light
Fresh air
Your nervous system constantly scans for cues of threat or safety. Natural environments tend to support parasympathetic regulation.
This is one reason seasonal nature-based therapy begins in mid-April.
Seasonal Nature Therapy Beginning Mid-April
This spring, outdoor seasonal therapy sessions will begin in mid-April.
Nature-based therapy integrates somatic awareness, walking, gentle pause practices, and real-time nervous system regulation outdoors.
These sessions are offered as private-pay therapy and support:
Life transitions
Burnout recovery
Anxiety regulation
Reconnection with the body
Nervous system stabilization
Spring provides a natural mirror for this work.
Yoga at the Cultural Center: Moving With the Light
Yoga continues at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center this spring.
Classes emphasize:
Gentle, accessible movement
Body awareness
Nervous system support
Moving at your own pace
During seasonal transitions, slower yoga practices support integration. The body needs time to adapt to increasing stimulation and light.
Movement becomes a stabilizer, not a stressor.
Private-Pay Somatic Therapy This Spring
Private-pay telehealth somatic therapy remains available this season.
Somatic therapy supports:
Nervous system dysregulation
Anxiety
Burnout
Life transitions
Reactivity patterns
Feeling disconnected from your body
You do not need to be in crisis to begin therapy.
Just as we tune up our homes in spring, we can recalibrate internally before stress accumulates.
The Invitation of March
March asks for patience.
The clocks move forward.
The light shifts.
The earth thaws.
Your nervous system adjusts.
Instead of rushing into spring, consider grounding into it.
Balance is not something you achieve.
It is something you practice.
If you are feeling the seasonal shift and would like support, seasonal nature therapy begins mid-April. Yoga continues at the cultural center. Private-pay somatic therapy is available.
Spring is not a demand for transformation.
It is an invitation to align with your body’s rhythm.
With care,
Bobbi Jo Hamilton, MSW, LICSW, RYT
