Dear Maggie,

I’m usually so happy in the spring. Not so much in the winter. This winter was the hardest one on me yet, and all through it I’ve been down and blue. I’ve gained weight, lost energy, and barely sleep at night for all the stress about money these days. But all winter, I kept thinking, once spring arrives, I’ll be fine again. I’ll get my zest for life back again, like I always do. But it’s not happening. I wake up and look at the weather report and think, it’s too cold today. I’ll exercise later, when it’s fifty again. And then when that fifty-degree day comes, I’m totally unmotivated, and would rather do nothing than get up and move. What can I do to get myself out of this rut?

Signed,

Still-Stuck in the Winter Blahs

Dear Stuck,

First, I’ll say the usual, responsible things. Sounds like a bit of depression. Maybe you’ve had Seasonal Depressive Disorder for a long time, and it’s taken a turn for the worse. Maybe you need to talk to a therapist. Maybe you can try a mild anti-depressant. Maybe you can try putting those full-spectrum lights in the rooms where you spend the most time, and it’ll perk you up.

Now I’m going to tell you how to fix this on your own, because this sounds mild enough that you have time. Any thoughts of suicide, though, and you get yourself to a doctor or crisis center immediately.

So, while all of the above might help – I know someone who’s lost 30 pounds within just a couple of months on the right anti-depressant, and is happier and more self-assured than ever. But it took years of being on the wrong meds, and lots of misery, before he got to that point.