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Seasonal depression, and how you can cope

It's been days, and possibly even weeks, of seeing no sun and clear blue skies.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — This time of year, it's cold, snowy, and pretty gray.

It's been days and possibly even weeks of seeing no sun and clear blue skies in Western New York.

Because of this weather, it can possibly affect mood and behavioral habits, this is seasonal depression.

Luckily, there is something you can do about it, one expert says.

"The best strategy is to go to Hawaii for the winter, or Puerto Rico, or something where it's sunny, get closer to the equator. It's warmer too, but the warmth isn't as important as the sunlight. If you can't afford that, the next best bet is to get artificial daylight. You can get this in the form of artificial bright light. These days, the artificial bright lights are about the intensity of sunlight," said Dr. Steven Dubovsky, psychiatry professor from University at Buffalo.

Dr. Dubovsky also added that even if it's cloudy, there is still enough light to tell your brain to wake up and get that dose of daylight.

If you stay inside with the covers over your head, then you're going to stay sluggish.

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