There are few things more disconcerting than that sudden, stomach-wrenching discovery that you've been functioning an hour behind the rest of the world. Time is, after all, precious.
This Sunday, 29th March at 1am, the clocks go will forward, spiriting away a full 60 minutes from your already hectic schedule (or plans to indulge in a lie-in). Just don’t forget to sync up your life accordingly.
Most smartphones, laptops and tablets will adjust automatically to the local time, but analogue clocks and watches will still need to be changed when you awake on Sunday morning.
One oft-neglected device that escapes the reset-dragnet is that of your car’s dashboard or radio. This can engender abject confusion if you tend to watch the clock on a lengthy commute, and may give you the impression you’re running an hour ahead of time.
If it all sounds like a bit of an inconvenience, look on the bright side – evenings will be significantly brighter. Now that the weather has improved, this signifies more time to catch up with the gardening, and better visibility for evening drives.
And if you always struggle to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing with your watch, just remember the two phrases ‘spring forward’ and ‘fall back’.