Fighting off winter blahs.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

As the long, dark stretch of winter looms ahead, it can be a struggle for some people to keep the blues at bay, but there are several tips that can help until spring arrives, offers Jane Kinyon, a clinical professor in the School of Nursing at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. She points out that mild depression, or the "blahs," are common in the winter due to the double impact of a lack of sunlight and the often cold temperatures that discourage outdoor activities, which is why more discipline is needed this time of year to keep spirits afloat.

"In addition to the obvious things--eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep--it's important to make ourselves do things like have lunch with a friend or take a walk," Kinyon urges. "We must schedule activities like this and make ourselves get out in the winter because we might not do them otherwise"

Putting more light into our lives also is beneficial, she recommends. "Having a lot of lights on in the house may not be a substitute for sunlight, but it can raise our spirits. If your...