Do not be sad this winter, give your self esteem a boost and conquer seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.). Many people suffer from what is now known as winter depression, and if you live in the northern hemisphere as I do where winter is gathering pace, you are more likely to suffer from it than someone south of the equator.

The common symptoms of seasonal affective disorder will consist of tiredness, lack of energy, irritability, a preference for starchy or sweet foods which will often lead to putting on excess weight, sleeping during the day time and overlaying in the mornings plus a general feeling of wanting to keep yourself to yourself and being anti-social.

Of course all of this is made worse with the thought of all of the Christmas and New Year celebrations ahead of you, a time when high energy levels are needed. You really do not want to be a part of it all, a feeling which deepens the depression and can be a very painful experience, both for the sufferer and their family and friends. Seasonal affective disorder is not confined to winter as it can also affect some people in the summer months which are again high energy level months with holidays and weekend outings going on all of the time. But with the sun feeding us energy it tends not to be as severe as in the dark, cold and damp winter months.

One method of combating seasonal affective disorder is by increasing the light levels that you receive to compensate for the lack of sunlight by using a special light box or light visor. However there can be side effects when using this method which may include headaches, eye strain, irritability and fatigue, many of the symptoms that are trying to prevent or cure. Obviously anyone with light sensitive skin would need to take extra care if using a light box.

Since discovering self hypnosis I have found that I am able to control my mindset and prepare myself for the dark days of winter. If for instance I feel a gloomy mood descending I am able to trigger off a happy and pleasing image which in turn leads to a feeling of warmth which energizes me and sends the dark clouds packing. Of course not everyone is able to do this straight away, but with practice it will become almost second nature.

So my advice this autumn is to prepare yourself for winter now, practice some self hypnosis and you can save yourself from having a sad winter and enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities to the full. Once you have mastered sending yourself into trance you will find that just a few minutes when needed will suffice to enable you to feel the benefits self hypnosis can bring you.