Many Iowans may find themselves dragging this morning after the change to Daylight Saving Time over the weekend. Mike Gremmer of Des Moines, a regional vice president for the staffing service Robert Half, says we spring ahead and fall back every year, but it’s always tough for some people to lose an hour of sleep. “Eat a good breakfast, coffee is great,” Gremmer says. “I would encourage you to not eat a lot of sugary foods and maybe stock up more on protein and whole grains instead and stay hydrated.”
Studies find that productivity in most lines of work can suffer for several days after a time change. When you get to the office, Gremmer suggests you look at the critical, most time-sensitive tasks and make a to-do list of priorities. “Right away, you get right at this list and it’ll keep you focused,” Gremmer says. “In addition, focus on one thing at a time. Many times, you’re going to come in to the office, there’s going to be a lot of things on your plate, and if you try to tackle several tasks simultaneously, many times what happens is costly mistakes are made.”
A survey from Robert Half found 58-percent of executives read email first thing when they get to the office. Gremmer has a warning about electronic communications. “Don’t let email inundate you,” Gremmer says. “It’s very easy to log on and once online, there’s a lot of different directions you can go. I would prioritize your time as it relates to what emails you check, which ones you don’t, and be mindful of other online distractions.”
One study on the time change finds that today and tomorrow, our risk of having a car accident will rise about six-percent, just because some of us aren’t coping well with that lost hour of sleep. The study also estimated the twice-a-year time changes cost the nation $1.7 billion a year in lost productivity.