Don't Let the Season Make You SAD

With so many holidays jampacked into just a few months, the winter season is usually one of fun and celebration. But for some people, it can be a time of darkness-and not just because the days are shorter.

If you find yourself feeling blue during the winter, you might be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). People with SAD experience recurrent episodes of depression, usually in the late fall and winter, which is typically caused by the lack of sunlight that time of year.

Fortunately, SAD is treatable, sometimes by simply spending more time outdoors when the sun is shining. Other people benefit from light therapy, which simulates daylight. Special light boxes or panels might be recommended, while other people feel better just by using full-spectrum light bulbs in their lamps.

Massage therapy also can help people who experience SAD , says Kathleen A. Miller-Read, a licensed massage therapist and member of the American Massage Therapy Association.

"People with SAD tend to sleep more and exercise less, so massage will stimulate their circulatory and lymphatic systems," she explains. "Massage also can assist in removing toxins-people with SAD tend to eat more unhealthy diets-and allows them to get more in touch with how they're feeling on every level."