When all else fails, the one way that you can beat seasonal affective disorder, or those damn winter blues, is to go on vacation. There’s no better time to proper appreciate the beauty of another country either. Back home it has done nothing but be raining, dreary, grey and miserable. After putting up with all that, you deserve a vacation!

There are plenty of new and exciting places to enjoy during what you consider to be the cold, winter months. Why not consider some of these beauties:

Playa del Carmen

It’s in Mexico, in case you hadn’t guessed, and once upon a time, it was actually a small fishing town. You wouldn’t believe it now though – the white sandy beaches and beautiful crystal clear blue waters have created one of the most sought-after holiday destinations in the world.

You’ve got the complete kit for beating SAD here. Firstly, how can you be sad on a white sandy beach, topping up your tan? Secondly, swimming has been proven to help with the winter blues and the crystal clear waters provide the perfect setting for just that. Throw in some amazing restaurants with good food and a great atmosphere, an outdoor gym for exercise (also shown to help with depression), plenty of outdoor sports courts, places to keep the kids entertained, and more shops than you can shake a stick at.

Plus, everyone deserves a luxury tropical island getaway.

Winter-Sun

The winter-sun vacations are actually a very smart way of dealing with the winter blues. Before you dismiss the idea completely, first let us explain…

You have grown accustomed to associating winter with misery, doom and gloom. In order to deal with the problem, you need to start associating the winter with something other than battling the rain and wind. A winter-sun holiday such as skiing in the French Alps or Switzerland might just be the perfect idea.

You get to enjoy the sun because up in the mountains it’s mostly sunny even in the winter days. There’s the vitamin D boost. You get to partake in exercise too if you like skiing or snowboarding. You might as well give it a shot while you’re there. Plus the snow is fluffy and everyone gets excited by snow.

When you start associating the winter with something better than misery and damp, you will approach things with a more positive outlook. It’s a very clever way of dealing with things.

Something a bit more ‘natural’?

Just think about this for a second – you’re walking through the jungle, hearing monkeys chattering all around you. You stop to take a photo of the most beautiful flower you’ve ever seen and in the background, you spot a beautiful and enormous butterfly. Look at those birds over there too – look how colourful they are!

Doesn’t that sound like the perfect spot to reflect, meditate and get back in touch with nature? What better way to battle the winter blues than by going back to basics in Guatemala or Cambodia? These places are becoming more and more popular and there’s a great reason for it too. They are some of the most breath-taking places in the world. Perhaps that’s why you need to pull you out of your winter blues slumps – an exploration!