Follow these five easy steps to have a happy winter:

1. Let There Be Light
According to psychiatrist Alfred Lewy, the treatment for seasonal depression and winter blahs is light. How do you get that light? There are a few different ways: You could move closer to the equator or change your sleep schedule so you wake up a half-hour after sunrise and go outside, but the easiest option is to purchase a light box. A light box is outfitted with special bulbs that mimic the brightness of the morning sun. 

Light therapy works by getting our sleep-wake cycle to synchronize with an electric-powered "sun," thereby resetting our circadian clock. We tend to feel our best when we wake with the dawn, and the light box essentially helps you make your own dawn. 

Light boxes are safe to use at home, and we recommend placing the light box at a 45-degree angle to you, from either your right or left side or above. Start with a morning dose of light: about 30 minutes, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. You may need more time -- 45 minutes to 2 hours, but once you feel an improvement in your mood, you can reduce the sessions to 30 minutes. People usually begin to feel better within a few days. 

Light boxes are available at verilux.com and specialty stores.

2. Eat to Feel Good
What we eat can affect our brain chemistry and our mood. Eat foods that increase and stabilize levels of serotonin, a mood-improving hormone that tends to decrease in the winter. These foods include choices rich in tryptophan, a building-block of serotonin. Resist the urge for refined carbohydrates: barley, brown rice, oats and whole grains, lean protein, etc.

Recommended foods
Beans and legumes: black beans and lentils
Seeds: pumpkin and flax
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, and pistachios
Root vegetables: carrots, beets, and winter squash

3. Move and Stretch
Exercise helps with any and all kinds of depression. Exercise helps boost serotonin levels in the brain, improves circulation, increases energy, and speeds up your metabolism. Mild aerobic exercise for 30 minutes can lighten your mood. Yoga helps as well; in addition to making you feel great, its focus on the breath can help you begin to observe your moods without reacting to them.

4. Supplement Smartly
Several dietary supplements can help fill in any nutritional gaps and, in turn, may lift your mood. The following four have been recommended:

Vitamin D
Deficiency in this vitamin is extremely common and may contribute to both ordinary and seasonal depression. Vitamin D is a critical nutrient and can help regulate your mood. Daily dosage is 2,000 IU.

Multivitamin
A good one includes plenty of B vitamins, as well as key minerals such as selenium (which helps support mood) and magnesium (which reduces anxiety and muscle tension). Daily dosage: one a day.

B-vitamin complex
These assist the brain in producing neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Daily dosage: one B-50 supplement daily.

Omega-3-rich fish oil
Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent and ease depression and other mood disorders. Flax makes a good substitute for strict vegetarians. Daily dosage: 1,000 mg of fish oil in capsule form twice daily, or 1 tablespoon of flax oil twice a day.

5. Try Healing Aromas, Herbs
Since the smell of any citrus uplifts the spirit, add a total of 10 drops of any combination of lemon, lime, and orange essential oils to each ounce of lotion or massage oil. Use daily, or use these oils in a diffuser. Holy basil/Tulsi tea by Organic India also helps ease depression.

Special Thanks
Special thanks to Terri Trespicio, senior editor of Body+Soul Magazine, for sharing these seasonal tips, and to Verilux for giving members of the studio audience a HappyLight Full Spectrum Light Therapy System.