Pretty sure you know the feeling of having to face the long night hours at work and the rest of the day indoors. And then the days start getting shorter as you get into the season and you start feeling less active and enthusiastic about just about everything. Those points in time where you find yourself going to bed earlier than you usually do, sleep a bit more or even eat more than you usually do.  According to experienced psychotherapist these slight fluctuations in your normal routine and mood are quite possible when you get into a new season. For example, the extreme ones like the Winter months can have a toll on you. But who says that there are no ways to counteract these symptoms and feelings of depression that you might end up feeling during these periods? In this article, is a detailed list of some of the ways that you can cope with seasonal depression. Keep reading to find out more.

1. Catch some rays

There is a high likelihood that you will experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) when there is a lack of enough Natural Sunlight. This usually occurs during the winter season. So, taking some time to soak in the warm natural sunlight on a bright winter day can help to lift your spirits. Natural sunlight helps to boost the serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is a mood-regulating hormone that helps your brain cells communicate. That is one great reason to gout on a sunny winter day and bask in nature’s brilliance.

2. Light therapy

In the extreme winter months where you may not even get the chance to glimpse natural sunlight, you can do with a little light therapy especially in the morning when you wake up. With light therapy, all you need to do is have some of the light from the light boxes hit your eyes and wait for the rest to happen. Currently, there is a wide variety of bright-light-emitting lamps on the market that you can use for this purpose. Light therapy treatment usually involves about 20-60 minutes of daily exposure to the cool-white fluorescent light.

3. Exercise

Including a regular workout routine into your schedule is also another excellent option for reducing depression symptoms in your body. Regular exercise is great for both the mind and body and is one of the simplest ways to improve your everyday moods. Regular exercise helps to increase the “feel good” neurotransmitter levels in the brain. It also helps to promote brain cell growth or just give you an awesome meditating effect. Combine your exercise with natural light, and you won’t have to face SAD any time soon.

4. Watch your diet

Research has shown that people who suffer from SAD tend to eat more. And you find that most of their meals are foods rich in carbohydrates. The sweet and starchy foods. Another common symptom is that these people tend to overeat. It is, thus, vital that you look at your diet if you believe you fall into this category. Doing so will help you get more energy-rich foods in your diet and have you feeling more active and energized. You will also need to take more meals rich in vitamin D especially during the winter days when the sun does not come out. Your body gets to produce way less of vitamin D during this period.

5. Consider using antidepressants

You can also go for the antidepressant drugs to help you cope with your SAD. Some of the antidepressant medicines work to boost the serotonin levels in your brain. Others work to improve your general mood by raising dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels in your brain. These drugs, however, carry some extreme side effects that you need to be aware of which makes them not be the right treatment for you.