Let Your Light Shine!

from Lexi Eddings...

The days are getting shorter. It's still dark when my body tells me it's time to get up and evenings fall so quickly, I'm sometimes ready for bed by eight.

Clearly, my body clock is kind of whacked out by the change of seasons. I don't think I have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I'm generally a cheerful person. But everyone can use a little pick-me-up sometimes.

Here are a few things I do to improve my mood:

Exercise--30 minutes on the treadmill and I'm bursting with a self-righteous glow!

Take vitamin D--Our bodies will make their own D if we get enough sunlight, but if you live north of Atlanta, the sun doesn't get high enough in the sky during the winter months for ultraviolet rays to penetrate the atmosphere. You can get D from canned tuna, fortified cereals and milk, but I don't usually eat those, so I take a supplement. Vitamin D is added to both my calcium pill and multi-vitamin.

Seek the sun--The DH and I have a short cruise to Mexico/Belize & Honduras planned for January. Not only will we get a chance to naturally beef up our Vitamin D reserves, anticipating the trip is a guaranteed mood lifter! If you can be flexible with your travel plans, a last minute cruise is often a great deal too.

Help someone else--When my kids were young we delivered meals-on-wheels one day a week. They always finished the route with grateful hearts. When you get your mind off yourself, your problems tend to shrink. In my book, The Coldwater Warm Hearts Club, my little group of stealthy do-gooders realize that they always get more than they give.

 So how about you? How do you lift your spirits when you're down?    

S