Overcoming the Winter Blues

There is no need to suffer with the Winter Blues when there are some simple remedies that can have you singing-in-the-rain in no time at all. Now I'm not talking about a quick fix to a true clinical depression; for that you may need to seek professional help. But I do have the cure to those dark day blues that can catch us by suprise during the winter months. The following remedies may sound silly or even foolish, but I promise you that if you take them to heart and practice them when you are feeling down, you will start feeling better in no time.

1. Smile. It sounds silly, but studies have shown
   that even a fake smile produces "feel good" chemicals
   (endorphins) in your brain. Go find a mirror and force
   yourself to smile for at least five minutes. Go ahead, make faces at yourself if you want to. If your not
   laughing by within a minute or two, go outside and smile at strangers. Sound
   Strange? (You're probably smiling at the thought of it,
   right now!) It may be strange, but it works, I guarantee
   it!
   
2. Exercise. A good swift walk around the block
   or 15 minutes of aerobics will stimulate your brain's "feel
   good" chemicals. If you get into the habit of doing a
   little daily exercise, you can reduce your recurring feelings
   of despair by a drastic degree. If aerobics isn't your
   thing, just go for a 20 minute walk every day.
   
3. Keep a journal. In your journal write about
   whatever is bothering you. Write your feelings in all
   their blackness. Write about what part of the situation
   you did have, or could have had, some choice, some control
   over part of it. Then before you're through, for each
   entry, end the list with at least one thing you like about
   yourself. Then write one thing you would like to do to
   help someone else, (open a door for an older person at
   the mall, say something sweet to a child, etc.)
   
4. Do a good deed. This is another of those weird
   suggestions that sounds unrealistic. However, over and
   over, people have experienced, and studies confirm, that
   when you get out of your egocentric world of "woe-is-me,"
   and spend time helping others, you tend to forget about
   your problems, and your dreary feelings disappear. It's
   like nature's magical remedy. Even Oprah recommends serving others as a way to save ourselves. Try it- it works!
   
5. Talk to someone. Find someone you can trust.
   I don't mean your best friend who has, in the past, "leaked"
   something you have told them in confidence. I mean someone
   you KNOW will not tell anyone and who will not judge you
   or try to tell you HOW to feel. Someone who will just
   let you get it out of your system without trying to "fix
   it." If you're so inclined, cry while you talk. Studies
   (yes I read a lot of studies), have shown that depression's
   chemicals, produced by your brain, come out in your tears.
   Crying is a wonderful way to relieve yourself of the excess.
   It hurts for a while, but generally, afterward, you will
   feel much better.