Seasonal affective disorder is a very real and very difficult thing for most people to combat. This is the time of year many of us get a large, uncontrollable feeling of depression and it’s good to know some ways to avoid or mitigate it. While this article should in no way be used as a substitute for real medical advice (if your SAD is particularly harmful to you), hopefully the knowledge contained within will be some help in your efforts to boost your mood and getting back to loving life!

Get outside and exercise

It’s miserable, cold and wet outside and we all know it. That doesn’t mean that you should neglect the great outdoors. Even if it’s cloudy and gross out, getting some vitamin D in cloudy weather still not only possible, but essential. While not a complete solution for a complex problem, simply getting outside and experiencing the outdoors, while getting that all important vitamin D, will boost your mood and have you feeling a bit better. Not only that, any exercise you get during this time will pump up your dopamine levels, which will also increase your happiness.

Spend time with friends and the fam

While it won’t cure everything, being able to rely on good friends and socialization is an important part of keeping in good spirits. Simply being able to talk to someone else about your feelings is a great way to begin to feel better, and having a shoulder to cry on is better than a pillow. Friends and loved ones are incredibly important to a healthy and sustainable mood and a great way to feel less anxious and depressed is by forgetting your problems while goofing off with someone great.

Try seeking professional help

If you’re really concerned as to your feelings specifically, going to see a doctor or psychologist is a legitimate and often necessary way of handling your problems. It is absolutely not a sign of weakness to seek out help, especially for emotional disorders like SAD. By getting professional treatment or medication (or both) your quality of life can substantially improve and you’ll be way better off in the future. If you’re suffering deeply, instead of bottling it all up inside, why not release it and get the help you need? You don’t need to be suffering in silence!