<p>Yes, they sell lamps with full spectrum light bulbs all over, including Home Depot and Lowes, as well as Costco and other places, including regular office supply stores. Many lamps are fine with you replacing the bulb with a full spectrum light as well. </p>
<p>We live in HI and get LOTS of sunlight but H’s blood test revealed he was low in Vitamen D, so he takes a huge Rx dose weekly and his levels are better now. Who would guess?</p>
<p>I’ve been struggling with SAD since middle school–it hit hard especially during sophomore year (I attempted suicide). I also live in Alaska so it is especially harsh. Our winters last half a year. I can definitely say I am doing a lot better… Certain things helped–my home environment got better, I changed my friend group to a healthier and more encouraging one, and most of all I changed my diet and exercise. Of course there was therapy but i only did that for a while. I started exercising more; I have lost 40 pounds since the beginning of high school. Last winter was definitely much better than sophomore year, and I look forward to improving myself further.</p>
<p>Additionally i study with those natural light lamps! I think this helps a lot </p>
<p>Do you sing? Or sew? Sign up to sing in a chorus or take a sewing class. Much much cheaper (and more effective) than therapy (or so we tell each other.) No kidding, a class or rehearsal once a week does wonders.</p>
<p>@asthrera, so glad you are doing better with winter these days!</p>
<p>I think that the key is choosing SOMETHING to do rather than going right from the dinner table to the couch in the evening. If the weather is still decent, take a walk with your H or someone else even though it’s still dark. Carry a flashlight and you’ll feel refreshed with just a 20 minute walk! Search on youtube for a short exercise video - set the laptop up on a table or connect it to your tv and do Denish Austin, Richard Simmons, simply yoga or whatever for 20-30 mins. Clean out a closet. Choose a room other than the living room/tv room to spend time in after dinner - so you don’t feel like you are retired to the same room for hours after dinner. </p>
<p>@asthrera I can’t even imagine how difficult the winter must be in Alaska and I am so sorry that you have suffered with this. I’m glad that things have been a little better for you and hope that things continue to go your way. Congrats on the diet and exercise success! Woohoo!</p>
<p>So my wonderful start was a little short lived. I really thought I had it all figured out but then @interesteddad let me know that my “Icy Hot Nudie Sunbathing” idea was not going to help! Damn! My H will be so disappointed…he thought that was one of my better ideas! But seriously, of course I felt all hopeful in the morning after a sleeping through til 5. I am a morning person. I forgot about part 2 of this little problem and that is staying up to a reasonable hour. And yesterday I didn’t make it past 7:30. It was weird bc once it started getting dark out I started feeling anxious so I didn’t want to make any coffee. I didn’t eat either bc of the anxiety and fell asleep watching TV…yes, bad idea. And it wasn’t a good sleep either. I woke up several times and then got up for good at 4 something. Just the time I didn’t want to wake up. But I did go to my Yoga class today and let me tell you this time change is affecting everyone…there was a fight in my Yoga class! Yes. A fight. But the teacher handled it brilliantly everyone calmed down. Until after class when there was a three car altercation over a parking spot. I just shook my head at all of it but it was clear that I am not the only one who was up at 4am today! </p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the light bulb/box recommendations. I am going to look further into it bc it really surprised me how quickly I started feeling anxious once it got dark so early. I have been relatively free from anxiety like that for so long. </p>
<p>Tonight I will be out until around 10pm so falling asleep is not an option. </p>
<p>A friend in England just mentioned to me the other day (they fell back two weeks ago) that she was still falling asleep by 8:30 every night, so it can take a few weeks to get sorted. </p>
<p>EEK to a fight at Yoga. Cannot image that happening. I have my class tonight so I will see if it’s catchy. 
</p>
<p>In HI, we have NO daylight savings time, as we have plenty of daylight year round. It is sometimes a bit confusing to be sure how many hours different we are from the other 49 states and other locations. Had a conference call and was hoping it was the correct time (it was). AZ is interesting in not participating in Daylight Savings Time as well. Bodies just get confused about trying to adjust to clocks for no logical reason.</p>
<p>emily - We too will pay our last college payment next month. The keyboard clicks joyfully as I type it… 
</p>
<p>coloradomom, congrats on reaching the finish line! You are a few months ahead me. I’ve got 5 more months until @#lifeaftertuition. </p>
<p>For the last 19 years I’ve been paying tuition of one sort or another and I’m absolutely giddy about being done with it. </p>
<p>Yes, we paid tuition for 12 years, including many years with two tuitions, including several years of two private college tuitions and room and board and mortgage. It does feel like you get a significant raise! Cheers! (Now, if only our kiddos are able to get jobs to pay their own expenses with their nice degrees. ;))</p>
<p>I find that having brighter lights and keeping them on helps, even if they aren’t full spectrum lights. You might have to fight with a frugal light-extinguishing spouse about this.</p>
<p>Is there a local “Y” or even a hotel with pool membership. Great exercise and I always feel like I am somewhere warm even if it is indoors. </p>
<p>I think that Pandora is one of the best internet inventions. I have the radio on throughout the day because upbeat music just lifts my spirits. My current favorite is Sara Bareilles radio. Listening to this station makes me want to dance and sing along.</p>
<p>My SAD light helps. But even more effective is the over-the-counter supplement Sam-e. I take it daily in the morning, 400-800 mg. I can easily adjust the dosage. Some years I don’t start taking it until December. This year I started in early October. No side effects that I notice, unless I take too much. Then I feel really antsy for a few hours. I will continue until May. It is a bit expensive, but it can be the difference between a day of lethargy and a productive day.
Another supplement is 5HTP, which is less expensive, but must be repeated throughout the day. </p>
<p>I am very happy every moment when nothing bad is happenning.
That is how I feel after my tire blew on expressway 2 days ago. The only thing that helped me feel normal again was swimming, my regular daily routine. I could not feel OK until I had a chance to go swimming after work, no matter who I talked to or do whatever, I continue feeling shaky.<br>
Weather is not the reason to feel good or bad for me. But if it was, I would have moved to non-seasonal region. LIfe is too short to be unhappy.<br>
It might be that the only thing that everybody needs is to go swimming. Have you watch kids at swim practice? They are soooo happy, everybody says so, even when they are in pain, even after they got screamed at by coach. Being in a water for some 1.5 hours just make us feel good.<br>
I also walk every day like 2.5 - 5 miles, depending…I get tired from walking, no re-freshing and burst of energy like I get after swimming. Actually, even doig weighs and walking is much easier right after swimming, must be some “happy” chemicals. I even love the smell of chlorine.
Many times we walk in a park, it is so pretty. I also walk on a river during my lunch at the office and it is pretty there.
In regard to sleeping, I need only 3 - 5 hours, I am lucky, I have plenty of time after work to pursue so much every day that others may need whole week to accomplish. I have several hobbies in addition to my 2-3 hours of exercise daily.
Cheer up!</p>
I was just going through my calendar and noticed Daylight Savings Time is in two weeks. 
I agree with @bogibogi, planting yourself in front of a roaring fire can do wonders for the winter blues. Even better add a glass of wine.
I also find a hot yoga class will brighten my spirits during those gray days of winter. My studio does a candlelight class on some evenings. The studio has walls of windows on 3 sides and there is something magical about that class if there is snow falling outside.
I’ve been XC skiing every chance I get this winter. It’s suprising how it makes you love winter. And how many happy people you meet in the coldest weather. Everyone there is so thrilled with “good snow”.
It has been life changing for me. I am going to be sad when it ends.
But my H keeps telling me that it’s only 8 weeks until the golf course opens lol!
Here this will make anyone feel good about the weather:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/red-pandas-snow-cincinnati-zoo_n_6721328.html
I’m so over winter even those toasty warm fires in the fireplace aren’t doing it for me anymore - I’ll clean the fireplace out and throw away the rest of the wood in a heartbeat for a 60 degree day!!!