Winter seems to be dragging on this year. Here on Long Island, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had a total of three inches of snow\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmaybe. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve also been treated to several 50-degree days in the middle of January and February. But the rest of the country hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been so lucky. <\/p>\n
Maine has received no less than 10 feet of snow in some areas. A friend told me that her mailbox is entirely covered in snow, and, if her German Shepherd were white instead of black and brown, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d risk losing her every time she went outside! <\/p>\n
Julie Fletcher has made the best of the weather by making snow angels. But at some point, you just want to say, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153enough\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s enough!\u00e2\u20ac? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always suffered from a mild version of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It was much worse when we lived in a basement apartment, but even now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had it with the winter.<\/p>\n
Five tips to cope with this long, long winter: <\/p>\n
–\tBundle up, get outside, and get active.<\/strong> Exercise releases feel-good endorphins that boost your mood. But if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re tired of the riding the same old treadmill as you stare at the television, get outside! Bicycling may be out of the question with the roads slick, but you can take a walk, have a snowball fight with your kids, or even go sledding. Pretty soon, all this snow will be gone and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll miss it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dokay, maybe not! <\/p>\n –\tLet daylight in. <\/strong> We rent an older house with horrible insulation; we keep heavy curtains on our windows throughout the winter so less heat escapes. But sitting in the dark is not the best way to get happy. The days are getting longer; enjoy every last bit of sunlight you can get by tossing open those blinds and letting the sun stream in. <\/p>\n