Do you feel like a victim? As the cold weather approaches each year, do you curl up in a ball and hold your breath, simply waiting for the “bad” weather to pass so you can live your life again?

Here are ten effective tools anyone can use to help them overcome the depression, lethargy, fatigue and anxiety often brought on by seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

ONE – KNOW YOUR ILLNESS

If you don’t know why you feel bad, then you can’t get better. You may think you have seasonal affective disorder, but can you be sure?

Some people claim to have this or that, but have nothing to back those claims up. Sometimes, fixing depression is as easy as finding out the real cause for your depression. You may find it has nothing to do with the weather. You might have anemia; you may be low in zinc.

Your healthcare provider can help you decide the real reasons for the blues that seem to strike during specific times of the year. If you do find you have SAD, do not panic. That is the worst thing you can do.

First, learn as much as you can about your disease. Find out what support groups are available. Find out what your treatment options are. Whatever you do, do not sit around and feel sorry for you, because you are the only person that can help you.

If you know why you feel the way you do, you can start working on the “how” to fix the feelings associated with your illness.

If someone asks you what SAD is, you should be able to tell them exactly what it is, how it affects you and what treatments work best for you. If you do not know all this information, then you have more work to do.

Many people with SAD and related disorders find it helpful to keep a library stocked with information about SAD and tips for overcoming feelings of depression. For example, you may find reading a book of laughter or happy and motivational quotes may be needed each morning before breakfast for getting you in the “mood” to face the day’s challenges.

The best step you can take toward feeling better is to know your illness. Once you do, you can take steps to treat it, and overcome ill health.

TWO – FIND SOMEONE THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM

There is nothing better than a best friend. When you have SAD, having a close friend with depression or SAD can help you even more. Often, you may find it hard for other people to understand why you feel the way you do.

When you have someone that can relate to you to talk to, you can share your feelings and talk with ease knowing the person you are with understands you. You do not have to worry about what they will think after you leave, because they know what you have to go through each day.

If you are not sure how to cope with a situation, call your buddy and ask them if they ever experienced the same situation, and if so, did they do something that worked. Share your success stories with them.

Whatever you do, make sure the two of you remain POSITIVE. Do NOT find someone to chum around with that will talk about how depressed they feel each day. This will only make you feel more depressed. Instead, commit to talking about positive events with each other. Make a secret pact and agree to engage in a few fun activities each time you get together. It will help take your mind off your troubles, and give you a new perspective on life and living.

THREE – CREATE A LIST OF FIVE ACTIVITIES YOU ENJOY DOING WHEN COLD WEATHER STRIKES

You should always have a backup plan in life. Let’s say for example you plan a boating outing. You wake up, ready to go, put your swimsuit on, and look out the window… and its raining. What do you do?

SAD is much like living a life where you need a backup plan every day. You never know when depression will strike. Some days you may feel good and some days bad.

On the days you feel bad, pick an activity you enjoy doing that will make you feel better. You should create a list of fun activities ahead of time so you don’t have to try to find something to do when you are already feeling a tad blue.

Your list may look something like this:

1.    Go bowling with friends
2.    Order pizza and make ice cream sodas
3.    Take a ride to a city you’ve never been in and have lunch
4.    People watch at a new and exciting location
5.    Finish a puzzle you started, or start a puzzle and finish it

What you don’t want to do is find you wake to snow and lie back in bed feeling sorry for yourself. When you have activities you can do readily available, then you have something to motivate you to get out of bed and do something fun, even when you are feeling a little blue.

Make sure you write down on that list – Make a funny face and smile at someone.

The very act of smiling will have you feeling better in no time. And, be sincere about it. No fake smiles here. We’re talking about full on,  ear to ear grins. Look at yourself in the mirror. Smile. Do it again. Repeat and repeat again. Go ahead, it’s good for you.

FOUR – CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL
Nothing makes a depressed person feel worse than a drink. Alcohol is a CNS depressant. What does that mean?

It means it slows down your central nervous system. If you are happy and you have a drink, you will probably still feel a little giddy. If you are sad and have a drink, you are not going to feel better. In fact, chances are high you will drink too much and feel worse than before, than dread your decision the next day.

Some research suggests alcohol alters your brain chemistry, so each time you drink you are more likely to feel depressed. Try to save drinking for special occasions or days when the sun is out and you feel better than average.

FIVE – FIND A LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP

If you are lucky enough to live near a support group, then find one and attend meetings regularly, especially when feeling down. If you are the shy type, then try looking online.

What you want to look for is a group that has a moderator, someone that works to keep you feeling upbeat and enthusiastic about the progress you are making. Just like having a friend with SAD, you do not want to sit around and whine about how bad you feel.

Try to look for a support group that engages in uplifting activities, and you will feel better about yourself and your condition.

SIX – KEEP A DIARY

Many people find writing cathartic. On days you are blue, keep a journal. Write down a few things. You may also consider keeping a daily journal of your activities, what you do, when you eat etc. This may offer you clues about the times of day you are most likely to feel down or up.

You can then take action to help lessen the amount of time you spend feeling down, and increase the times you feel up.

SEVEN – WEAR BRIGHT CLOTHES

Most people fall into the trap of wearing “fall” or “winter” colors during colder months of the year.

These colors are usually browns, shades of grey… you know, the kind of colors that keep you feeling blue.

What do you notice about summer? The colors people wear are bright and colorful. So, why not dress lightly and brightly when you feel a little blue?

Why not break with ordinary trends and pick out something spicy to wear? Do your hair, do anything that makes you feel better about your health and the way you feel.

You can even invest in a few t-shirts with happy faces on them. Some people have gone as far as having their own logos imprinted on them. “Smile, I’m SAD” for example. If nothing else, you will get a laugh or two, and that can help lift your mood.

EIGHT – PAINT YOUR LIVING SPACE YELLOW

OK, so yellow may not be your favorite color. What about orange? What about bright pastels or greens? Any colors that help you feel upbeat. You can also enhance the effects of bright colors by using aromatherapy. Certain scents including orange, lime and grapefruit can help improve your mood and keep you feeling upbeat.

Try looking into some candles or an infuser or spray and make sure you fill your home with bright and cheery scents and colors. This will naturally improve your mood.

This also works very well if you work in a dark office or one without access to natural light. You can also invest in a plant or two to help brighten up the atmosphere.

And, do not forget about those helpful daylights. Try infusing more natural light into the rooms in your home, even if you have to use artificial lighting to achieve your goals.

Make sure you invest in a light that provides at least 2,500 or more lux, or light waves of energy. Check in with your doc to make sure you do not expose your brain to too many waves, and then go for it.

NINE – PLAN A TRIP EACH YEAR

There are literally millions of people affected by SAD. Many find it helps to plan a trip to a warm, sunny and fun location during one or more of the cold months of the year.

You do not have to plan an extensive vacation. You might plan a single weekend somewhere you know it will be warm and sunny. When you do this, you not only improve your mood by exposing your body to more sunlight, you have something you can look forward to each year. (Besides the cold weather that is.)

TEN – EXERCISE MORE

Raise your hand if you exercise regularly. Many people exercise less during the cold months of the year. This is especially true if you do not have access to a gym.

The more exercise you engage in however, the better you will feel. Exercise helps release “feel good” hormones in the body that can help alleviate feelings of depression and sadness. If you are not looking to invest in a home gym, then think about a class you can attend once a week or more, of invest in a few DVDs.

Many people find exercising regularly is the one easiest thing they can do to lift their spirits during the winter.

Exercise will also help you keep off extra weight during the holidays, so you will feel better whether you have SAD or not.

Remember, a lot of your health and wellness will depend on your willingness to change your lifestyle. If you want to feel your best, then you have to take action to combat depression. How do you do that?

You start by adopting one or two of the tips in this special report. You can even start coming up with your own list of tips. Follow your own advice. Get out there and help yourself put positive into your life.