How to Beat the Winter Blues

1. Turn on your lights as soon as your alarm goes off—trying to get ready for work in the dark will only make you sleepier and more sluggish.

2. Wake up to the smell of coffee. Set your coffeemaker to turn on a few minutes before you rise and breathe in the irresistible scent.

3. Bundle up and take a walk during lunch. The artificial light you’re under all day is no substitute for the real thing. Getting out and actually soaking up whatever sun you can while breathing fresh air will lift your spirits.

4. Make happy hour pacts. It can be so easy to run home straight after work, but parking yourself in front of the TV or Facebook every night will only depress you. Agree to meet your friends once a week for drinks.

5. Have before-dinner sex. Is there any better way to take advantage of the last hour of daylight?

6. Take a vitamin D supplement, which has mood-enhancing benefits. In the colder months, you just can’t get enough naturally from the sun’s rays.

7. Re-decorate. When it’s grey outside, make it bright inside. Add splashes of color to your home with poppy lamps and pillows. Or, if you’re feeling especially adventurous, paint your walls yellow for maximum happiness infusion.

8. Pick up a few buds from a local shop to display in your apartment for some much-needed freshness and a little life.

9. Plan a mini outdoor getaway. Don’t spend your days off inside and waste daylight you can enjoy. Go sledding or explore a nearby town and check out the holiday window displays, which are usually great this time of year.

10. Have a romantic dinner by candlelight. Take advantage of the darkness and turn your apartment into the ultimate sultry escape. We don’t need to tell you what happens next.

SOURCE: Jenn Berman, PhD