Its a long cold stretch between the holidays and the light warm breath of spring. The days are short and sunlight scarce. Harsh weather keeps us indoors more, making most of us far less active than we are during the brighter months. We eat more, sleep more, move less and and generally have less energy. Winter can be a drag. Many of us get the blahs, the blues.. a touch of melancholy. Formally known as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, an estimated 10% of our population suffers from it- including me. I became aware of the powerful impact the seasonal changes were having on my mood and energy level in my late teens and have over time found a few pharmaceutical-free actions that genuinely help to combat this cyclical malaise.

1. MOVE! Find a way to excercise a few times a week throughout the winter. If you are like me and get all your excercise through outdoor play in the springsummerfall months, you may find a structured indoor practice a challenge to initiate. Find an activity that appeals to you. Join a gym, take dance, yoga, pilates or matial arts classes, jump rope, check out the collection of fitness dvds at the local library, learn a new winter sport. Yoga teaches that doing asanas that open your arm pits, chest (heart) and ribs (lungs) will lift your spirits. Just move your body! It reduces stress, boosts self esteem, improves sleep, promotes mental clarity and increases energy.

2. You are what you EAT!. Avoid the instant gratification of junk food. Sugar loaded, salty, deep fried, refined foods deplete your body of essential nutrients and worsen the symptoms of depression. Choose foods that produce lasting energy and promote mental clarity: seasonally fresh produce and whole grains, nuts, fish. Take a good daily multi vitamin and perhaps some additional vitamin D. Be sure to get enough essential fatty acids-they nourish the brain. And take it easy on your alcohol consumption- Its a depressant in disguise!

3. Turn your face up to the SUN! Well, as much as you can, anyway. We can go for weeks without getting a direct hit of it... So get outside anyway, the fresh air will do you good, and consider trying another source for those vital rays: Light Therapy. Also called Phototherapy, It employs the use of a lightbox, or a small, portable, very bright lamp designed to mimic full-spectrum light. Exposure to these light rays of at least 30 minutes a day catalyzes a biochemical change in your brain that lifts your mood.

4. Feed your brain! Unplug it from the tv. Its way too easy to get sucked into hours of mind numbing entertainment when your cooped up inside, but its a temporary escape and ultimately a big waste of time. For a great change of scenery spend some of that time at the library. Check out the selection of books on tape. You can listen while you tackle some of those cleaning and organizing projects on your to do list. (Im currently listening to The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan while creating scrapbooks of my son's first three years worth of photos instead of perching in front of the tube after he goes to bed.) Pick up a motivational book, research something of interest to you, take on a project, learn something...Keep your brain active!

5. Positive connections! Dont retreat to your cave when youre feeling glum. Stay connected to the important people in your life- especially those with the most positive attitudes and impact on you. Both optimism and pessimism are contagious! So rub elbows with positive folk and it'll rub off on you! Feed that optimism with a little daily gratitude.. a combination that always 'lightens' my heart, even in the darkest months.