Between seasonal depression, regular depression, stress or whatever else you've got going on in your life, winter seems to amplify all of that.

I am someone who truly does enjoy winter but the goblins that inhabit my brain still try to force me to be sad, tired, anxious and any other unpleasant emotions you can think of in the winter.

By "goblins" I guess I really just mean that my serotonin receptors just curl up for a long winter's nap.

Every year around this time myself, and many others, fall into the patterns of Seasonal Affective Disorder (spells out SAD for a reason) and every year I find more and more ways to try to combat it.

There are all kinds of "quick fixes" out there that claim to "cure" these symptoms but, really, sometimes all you can do is just get through it and hope the next day is a bit better.

For example, I have learned on particularly "bad" days to just let myself feel those emotions, let myself have a day where I can be a couch potato and not feel guilty about it. I talk about mental health a lot and it's because I know I have struggled so much before and if sharing what I've learned helps even one person I feel good about it.

In the spirit of wanting to share with people my own personal tips and tricks in an effort to possibly help someone else, here are 10 things I would recommend for anyone "riding the struggle bus":

We live in a very "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" kind of society. Not to say that is ALWAYS a bad thing; however, I feel like it makes for people to feel like they can never take time to be sad, to relax without feeling guilty, to do things for their own mental health without being "ashamed."

If you too are in a "funk" just know it is perfectly okay to sit with that and work through it in a safe and healthy way. Those dishes piling up in the sink will still be there, they are not going to yell at you and will simply sit for a day or two until you feel like getting to them.

All in all, take time to do even just one kind thing for yourself a day and see what a difference it makes.

Think you might be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder? Here are some symptoms to help identify it:

UP NEXT: Symptoms of Winter-Onset Seasonal Affective Disorder

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