The winter blues can drive us to pound back caffeine for energy and throw ourselves into the tanning bed to get a quick fix of vitamin D. Before you pull on those alien-y glasses and drop 5 bucks on a skinny triple shot latte, hear me out! There are plenty of natural ways to boost your mood during the winter months, none of them involve harm to your body, or the earth. Here are a few.

1. Boost endorphins with exercise. Our brain’s natural feel good drug is released when our bodies experience stress. Even a low key workout that gets your heart rate up will do it. Exercise isn’t the only way to release endorphins though, certain spicy foods (chile pepper, wasabi, ginger) will trick your body in to thinking your experiencing stress, thereby releasing endorphins before you can say Pad Thai.

2. Do your own aromatherapy, and turn your pad into a cozy love den. Step 1, ditch your plug in air freshener. It could be loaded with toxic chemicals like alcohol and formaldehyde, which cause respiratory problems and can mess up your nervous system. Go for essential oil diffusers in de-stressing scents like lavender or sandalwood. Or for a blast of summer love, use citrus scents like sweet orange and lemon. You can even put a few drops in a dish of water and let it evaporate, or make a mixture with water and pour it into a spray bottle. Your lungs will thank you.

3. Eat fresh foods. When you mow down on sugar, your blood levels spike, then you crash, and want to hibernate. Foods with Tryptophan and vitamin B-12 boost serotonin levels in the brain, which improve mood in the long term. Pump up your serotonin levels with walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, bananas, avocados, dark chocolate, buckwheat, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Try and get out to a farmers market as often as you can. There are lots open in winter, just check out this website to find out which ones are closest to your ‘hood.

4. Get your vitamins! Vitamin D is the crucial in winter, when our exposure to the sun decreases. Get out there as much as you can and try and soak up some rays. Whatever you do, avoid tanning beds – the dangers they impinge on your skin can be pretty creepy. Resist your inner Jersey Shore urges and steer clear. In a pinch, reach for fortified soy milk or orange juice, or grab a single vitamin supplement.

5. Embrace the cold by getting down with a winter activity. There are tons of cool things you can do in the winter that you can’t do in the summer. Plan a ski / snowboard day with some friends, go ice skating, have a bonfire. (Even if its beer-bogganing, being outdoors in the brisk air with friends will totally lift your spirits, and laughter boosts endorphins.)

6. Do hot yoga. Ask any yogi and they will tell you that yoga can cure anything. For good reason, because yoga is bomb, especially hot yoga in the winter. It will have you sleeping better, feeling beautiful, and not freaking out on the subway during rush hour. You will walk out of that class with steam coming off your body ready to kick Jack Frost’s frigid ass.

By Kait Fowlie