Food for thought: Dealing with the winter depression

I don't know about you but, for me, January and February are perilous months. The excitement of the holidays is gone, the blissful memory of the Quality Street tin has left its weighty mark and the new year's resolutions have transformed themselves into additional guilt. Whatever the cause, the effect is painful and I'm stuck with The Winter Depression.

However, because this happens every year, I've managed to learn a few things that help me cope and I thought I would pass them along in case you too are not at your most energetic/productive/creative self at this time of the year.

1) De-clutter. Even the tiniest effort here pays big benefits. As they say: messy office, messy mind. Wouldn't you prefer to be on top of your world rather than it being on top of you? After whatever amount of time spent de-cluttering, I invariably feel a lot better about myself.

2) Laugh. It's hard to feel low when you are having a good chuckle. Seek out comedy, whether it is the timeless humour of Carry On films, the surprisingly clever Simpsons, the re-reading of Three Men in a Boat or whatever works for you. Similarly, seek out and stay in touch with people who make you laugh. And, for those of you with more than a touch of cynicism about life and work, go to www.despair.com for some great gallows humour.

3) Dance. This may not be you but movement can be a very good way to improve mood. For me, putting on a Rolling Stones track, closing the curtains and making a fool of myself in the eyes of the household pets is a great way to lift my spirits. Even watching others (such as Patrick Swayze, Fred Astaire or Shirley Temple) dance up a storm can be amazingly uplifting. And if you're not a dancer, perhaps walking or exercise can help.

And, if you find that the above are not working, you could always consider Plan B: A jolly good trip to warm and sunny climes!

Cynthia Pexton-Shaw