Do You Get The Winter Blues?

For some reason as I have gotten older, winter has really gotten to me. In the beginning I am excited for the cooler weather of fall and the holiday season, but as the days get shorter and the celebrations are past, I find myself getting depressed. I am not sure why I get this way, and I know others have the same issue.

I think a big part of it is the shorter days. Actually though, if I think about it, after December 21st the days are really getting longer again. It is hard though when I look at the clock which says something like 4:45 in the afternoon, and its almost dark. I dream of the summer nights where the sun stays around until closer to 8pm and sitting out on my porch enjoying the evening.

Also we Californians have been experiencing a LOT of rain lately. Enough rain for the drought people to come out today and declare 40% of the state to be out of the drought finally. I think I have now sat through 6 days of straight rain and some of that was downpours like a monsoon. Everything outside is dreary and gray. The sky is gray and the trees have no leaves and look gray. My driveway is literally a river of mud and also a gray brown color. No wonder it gets me down!

So, what can I do to get over this? I mean my birthday is in 13 days and I am not even excited about it! I've tried listening to uplifting music, taking photographs, even going for a rainy walk but nothing is working. All I want to do is sleep and eat which is not good for my diet. Thank God I have a job to go to or I would really be in the dumps.

Do any of you experience this winter depression? What do you do to make yourself feel better? I would really like some ideas to try cause it is a long way still until Spring.