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It’s typical to feel like going to bed by 9 p.m. if it gets dark at 4:30. However, if you struggle to get out of bed in the morning, you could have seasonal depression. 

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Seasonal Affective Disorder — or SAD , as it’s known as—is a self-diagnosable condition that affects people’s mood and overall mental state at the same time every year.

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Whenever you get the chance, get yourself outside into natural daylight. If the weather isn’t too terrible, take a 10-minute walk over your lunch break. Take yourself skiing or build a snowman when you have some daylight hours off.

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The people who got out of these dark times before you weren’t better than you, or stronger than you, or less burdened than you. They felt weak and sad and like they were barely hanging on – just like you. BUT, they kept going.

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The days are shorter now, but the nights are longer and you appreciate that. Beauty requires contrast, and light requires darkness for its existence.

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None of that really helps when you’re nesting, your entire days worth of food dishes building up around you. You’re cocooned in a blanket and can’t break your month-long Netflix marathon to do anything productive for longer than three minutes at a time. What’s the point?

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Try new things out. Build a new hobby. Like cooking, reading, dancing, blogging, or absolutely anything! It’s always nice to have your mind occupied with interesting things rather than curling up in the bed with your week-old pajamas lamenting.

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You feel so numb, yet everything hurts all over.

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1. About 20 million Americans experience depression yearly.

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For someone with depression it takes significantly more effort just to think and accomplish basic activities.