No, I'm not jesting or being facetious. It is possible to be happy during the dark days of winter—or if not happy, at least less depressed. Really.

Those of us living in the heartland of America understand the true meaning of winter; we know its dark, gloomy, windy, cold, snowy and sometimes treacherous days and nights. We know how it feels in our bones as we dig our cars out from snow banks...lose power from downed, ice-encrusted power lines...slip and slide on icy roads and sidewalks...take half an hour to bundle up to our eyebrows in a million layers just to take the trash out (and then half an hour to get ourselves out of it all again).

AND...we also know how it feels to build adorable snow people...make snow angels...have bracing snowball fights...go ice skating...sled down snowy banks...ski down snowy slopes...drink steaming hot chocolate with marshmallows...curl up with a good book and fuzzy afghan...enjoy favorite movies and popcorn while snuggling with loved ones.

The two faces of winter in the heartland.

But those of us at Rebecca's Dream know—intimately—how difficult these cold, dark days in the heartland can be for so many people living with mood disorders. While we recognize his charm, we also don't underestimate Old Man Winter's fierce power. To stave him off, we'd like to offer you some methods to put a smile on your face and warmth in your heart...some tips and suggestions to help all of us get through the tedious, challenging days, weeks, and months leading up to Monday, March 20, 2017. That's the first day of spring...ONLY 64 days away as I write this on January 16.

The Dalai Lama said: "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."

Click here to continue reading and to see what you can do to help practice compassion for others and for yourself.