1. Seasonal-depression-300x271Increase your vitamin D levels. If you live somewhere where you have to put on long sleeves to go outside in the winter, you’re not getting enough sunlight to maintain your vitamin D levels. Most research now shows that children need about 1000-2000 IU/day and adults need between 4000-8000 IU/day.
  2. Get active. Regular exercise is the only non-nutraceutical way to increase your serotonin levels. Research shows that vigorous exercise for 30 minutes 5x/week can increase serotonin levels by 37%.
  3. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can cause all sorts of imbalances that make you feel low and out-of-sorts. We naturally need/want more sleep as daylight dwindles, so aim for 8-10 hours/night.
  4. Maintain your blood sugar. Riding a blood sugar roller-coaster sets you up for energy crashes throughout the day. Level this out by eating some protein every 3-4 hours along with fresh fruit and vegetables.
  5. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant – enough said.