Beating the Winter Bluh by Swetha Shankar

Every year around this time, many people feel the effect of the winter blues. These blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), affect people of every age. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal, and they appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer.

There are many ways to lessen the effects of SAD. According to Sue Pavlovich of the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association (SADA), "Everyone's affected differently by SAD, so what works for one person won't for another. But there's usually something that will help, so don't give up if the first remedy you try doesn't work. Just keep trying." Below are some to steps to keep your mood and motivation steady throughout the winter.

Keep Active Getting at least 20 minutes of vigorous activity four times a week has been shown to reduce depressive mood. A daily walk in the middle of the day could be helpful as a light treatment for coping with the winter blues.

Get Outside Go outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible, especially at midday and on brighter days. When indoors, sit near windows whenever you can.

Keep Warm Being cold may make you feel more depressed, so staying warm may reduce the winter blues. Keep warm with hot drinks, hot food, and warm clothes and shoes. Additionally, aim to keep your home between 64 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Eat Healthy A healthy diet will boost your mood, give you more energy and stop you putting on weight over winter. Balance your craving for carbohydrates, such as pasta and potatoes, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Take Up A New Hobby Studies show that keeping your mind active with a new interest seems to ward off symptoms of SAD. This can be knitting, writing a blog, joining a gym, or keeping a journal.

Visit Friends and Family It's been shown that socialising is good for your mental health and helps ward off the winter blues. Make an effort to keep in touch with people you care about and accept any invitations you get to social events, even if you only go for a little while.

If you feel down for days at a time and can't get motivated to do activities you normally enjoy, go see your doctor. This is especially important if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, get help immediately through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.