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Fear not: spring will come. Unfortunately, it’s not coming any time soon in West Michigan, at least in terms of warm temperatures and the disappearance of snow and ice.

After a winter season deemed harsh by both meteorologists and drivers, even the heartiest of winter weather fans may be having a tough time keeping their spirits up. An expert from Spectrum Health has tips that may help you feel a little bit better while waiting for winter to finally end.

Kiran Taylor, MD, chief of psychiatry and behavioral medicine, Spectrum Health Medical Group, recommends that people who are suffering the winter blues:

• Start moving – even if you can’t move away from the winter season. Exercise can help you feel warm and naturally happier.
• Make the effort to reconnect with an old (or new) friend. Plan a fun get together doing something new.
• Turn on more lights! If you don’t have a “happy light,” even turning on additional lights in your environment can lift your spirit.
• Play more music and watch less television. Messages of doom and gloom on the television, from weather forecasters to everyday news, can pull you down.
• Plan a theme party or serve a special “summer” meal for family or friends. This gives everyone something to look forward to, even if the weather outside is still frightful.
• Take on a home redecorating project – or any project – that gets you focused on the future more than the present.

Finally, says Taylor, be patient.

“At least it’s the end of February, not November or December. We will say goodbye to this winter soon.”

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system, based in West Michigan, offering a full continuum of care through the Spectrum Health Hospital Group, which is comprised of 11 hospitals including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital; 170 ambulatory and service sites; 1,050 employed physicians and advanced practice providers including members of the Spectrum Health Medical Group; and Priority Health, a 575,000-member health plan. Spectrum Health is West Michigan’s largest employer with 21,000 employees. The organization provided $250 million in community benefit during its 2013 fiscal year.