The new year has hit, and here comes the post-holiday letdown. Winter transitions from being quaint and festive to simply being cold and dark. And way too long.

I'm going to share the tips and tricks I plan to do this year to fight the winter blues. I've been posting my series on Beating the Blahs to The Placenta Blog over the past couple weeks. I hope you find some suggestions that are helpful.

Tip 1 - Socialize: Get together with your friends as often as possible. It makes winter bearable! Read More

Tip 2 - Sleep: It is hard to have a positive outlook when you are exhausted. Read More

Tip 3 - Nature: Revel in the beauty of the natural world around you, and draw from the energy Nature provides. Read More

Tip 4 - Laugh: The saying that "laughter is the best medicine" is true! Read More

Tip 5 - Eat Well: Keeping your body properly nourished will help keep you feeling energetic and positive. Read More

Tip 6 - Exercise: Nothing beats the blahs like a healthy dose of endorphins, provided by exercise. Read More

Tip 7 - Celebrate Your Talents: Do something you love, and nurture your talents. Read More

Final Tip - Supplements: I left supplementation as the last tip in this series. It is an important factor in preventing a mid-winter funk, but you should use them in conjunction with the other tips.

Here's a list of the vitamins and herbal supplements that I take to help with my depression symptoms:

* Vitamin B. I take a vitamin that includes B12, Folic Acid and B6. This combination has been shown to help with depression.

* Omega-3 Fatty Acids. I take a high-quality fish oil capule - the Nordic Naturals brand is a little expensive, but very good. The fatty acids in healthy oils are supposed to help with depression, but they are good for your body in a variety of ways. I also take a good flax oil supplement, and a combination of Omega 3/6/9 fatty acid. I get the Trader Joe's brand for those.

* Balance. This is an Herbally Grounded brand tincture that is used to help balance hormone levels. Physical and emotional issues manifest when our hormones are out of balance. This blend helps keep our physical and mental bodies in balance.

* Happy Juice. This is another tincture blend I use from Herbally Grounded. The herbs in this blend are traditionally used to naturally raise the seratonin levels in the brain, similar to an SSRI antidepressant medication. When taken regularly, this really helps with my mood. I even give it to my kids when they are having a particularly whiney or weepy day (which helps with my mood too!).

* Super Greens. Our bodies need greens to function at our best. It is hard to eat enough roughage during the day to meet our needs. Therefore, I drink Super Greens at least once a day to give myself a boost. If you can't drink it, there is a great blend in capsule form too.

* Placenta! If you have placenta capsules left over from a recent birth, feel free to take those during this time of year as well. They'll give you a much-needed dose of energy and help with your mood.

I hope you found this series on Beating the Winter Blahs helpful. I have been using these tips for the last couple months (since November 1), and am very excited to report that I have been feeling great! I have battled depression for the past 10 years, and from November to February is always the worst time for me. This is the first year that I have done all of the things I just suggested, and this has been the best winter I've had in the last decade.

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