The days are beginning to shorten as we move into fall and winter. Many of us suffer the "Winter Blues," or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD- appropriate name, aye?) to varying degrees. But it is preventable and treatable! Read on for simple tips to avoid the cold weather funk.

SAD affects millions worldwide. Symptoms usually begin in late fall and continue through until spring, and can include:

Contrary to what the sunscreen companies will have you believe, we need sunlight! Just as all living things, we need sunlight to grow and be healthy and function at 100%. As you get less sun due to short winter days, your body goes into a "hibernation mode" like bears. So take advantage of any sunny days you can. When this is not an option, try one or more of the following.

Exercise

Drag your butt off that couch and get moving! Yeah, I said it! Exercise helps alleviate the symptoms of SAD. Put on some energetic music to help get your blood pumping. Yes, it'll be a bit of an effort to start, however I promise you within minutes you will begin to feel better!

Light Therapy

The best light is the natural sun. Here we find rescue kitten Marley soaking up his vitamin D through the only patch of sunlight he could find.

Cats are pretty smart creatures, they know sunlight is rejuvenating and healthy, that's why you'll catch your kitten taking advantage of any ray that comes in through the window, no matter how small!

But during those day when the sunlight just doesn't shine through the cloud cover, have one of these handy.

This alarm clock is pretty cool, and actually naturally awakens you with full spectrum lighting, just as we humans were intended to awaken with the sun.

You can also purchase full spectrum light bulbs to place in your lamps to mimic the suns rays and give you the nutrients you need. Basically faking the sun to avoid the depression of SAD ;)

Get Your Vitamins!

Without the sun producing our natural vitamin D, we have to supplement our bodies with this necessary nutrient. Take a trusted multivitamin, or better yet- get it naturally from the foods you eat:

Hang Out

Hang out with your friends to boost your mood and support each other through the cold winter days.

Cuddle

It's cold- perfect excuse for sharing a blanket and cuddling in front of the telly with your significant other. Touch is proven to release the body's feel good chemicals and naturally boost mood. Why do you think more babies are born in the summer- 9 months after the cold spell ;)