I suspect that almost everyone is affected by the weather. If you live in a place where the climate is almost always bright and sunny, you probably crave a spot of cool now and again. However, your moods will probably be less affected than those of people who live in darker and damper climes. It is easier to feel brighter and more optimistic when presented with a warm and sunny day.

When you live in a part of the hemisphere that is greatly affected by fluctuations between dark and light, grey or blue skies, rain or sunshine, then it is difficult to not be affected in some emotional sense by this changeability. As autumn changes into winter and the nights draw in you feel more confined and restricted. You simply cannot do all of those things that you enjoyed doing in the evenings during the long and light days of summer.

When you awaken in the morning and are presented with darkness as you open your bedroom curtains you might feel your mood quite simply dropping downwards. As dawn breaks and the day begins you look forward to lightness and brightness entering your day. Therefore when the skies remain grey and dark clouds loom ominously above it can be difficult to lift your mood and lighten your spirit.

People can be forgiven for wishing that they could just curl up and hibernate for the winter and simply reawaken in the springtime when skies and blue and temperatures have risen. That said we have to live within the reality of what we are presented with. We cannot always live our dreams.

We have to learn to live with the affect of the weather upon our psyche and seek our own ways to lift our spirits and brighten our moods. It is very easy to focus upon what we are missing out upon or what we haven't got, but in doing this we sink into an ever-deeper rut, making it impossible to climb out of.

It is instead vitally important to focus upon the things that we do have, the things that are good and enjoyable in our lives. On those darker and colder nights we can enjoy the warmth and beauty of a crackling log fire. We can take time to appreciate the beauty of our homes, friends and families. We can focus upon projects and gain a sense of achievement. We can read all of those books we meant to read and catch up upon movies that we meant to watch.

There are in fact many things that you can do to stop yourself being afflicted by SAD. Eating well, ensuring that you exercise, focusing upon interests, hobbies and friendships are all obvious forms of self-help and act to prevent the onset of SAD. Meditation or self-hypnosis are also good sources of relaxation and comfort.

The use of self-hypnosis can also be extended to include utilizing your senses to imagine the effect of sunshine on your mind and body. You can use your mind in this way to trigger a spontaneous endorphin release, raising your mood naturally and lifting your spirits.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in health hypnosis mp3 downloads including assistance in preventing SAD.

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