|  Dear Good Life readers,Anyone else feeling the winter blues?I’m not going to lie to you, my mood has been lower than usual lately. The weather is starting to get bitterly cold in New York and the sun is setting a lot earlier. There’s also a lot to do to prep for the holidays, which is both hectic and expensive. I know it’s supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year” — and in a lot of ways, it is — but I can’t also help but feel a little more burned out than normal.Mental health problems this time of year aren’t uncommon: Research shows that the financial strain of the holidays, the fewer hours of sunlight and stressful schedules during this stretch can all contribute to a low mood. In some extreme cases, it may be seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a depression-related condition that often can occur in the winter months.I don’t have SAD, but there are plenty of people who do. If you’re one of them — or if you’re like me and just feeling a little low right now — don’t be afraid to reach out to someone and definitely focus on taking care of yourself. I’m lifting my spirits by exercising more (shout out to Taylor Swift-themed spinning classes!), going to therapy and really focusing on work. These things seem to ground me the most and get me out of my own head.Share your tips with me on how you beat the winter blues on Twitter. Here’s to getting back to a hollier, jollier attitude this week. No more bah-humbugs.Love,
Lindsay
Senior Wellness Editor, HuffPost Life  Turn up the Wellness Jams  Wellness Jams is a curated workout or relaxing playlist from celebrities, influencers and readers. This week, mental health writer Sarah Schuster shares what she listens to when she’s had a tough day. You can follow her on Twitter and check out her work on The Mighty, a storytelling community for people who live with mental illnesses, chronic illnesses and disabilities. Check out what Sarah had to say about how these songs keep her calm:When I think about which songs are on my mental health playlist, I tend to go back to my high school self, lying in my bedroom in the dark, unable to put words to the sadness that weighed me down. In those moments, I didn't need pick-me-up songs — instead, I was drawn to songs that matched my mood. Because of this, some of the choices of my playlist are a little darker, or a little sad, but I think leaning into those dark feelings is actually good way to learn how to tolerate them. Now, I'm able to verbalize what I'm going through more than I could back in the day, yet I still find myself drawn to songs that make me feel. (But, of course, it can't all be darkness. You need to jam to Lauryn Hill every once in a while.) Listen to my playlist here.  Daisy Ridley on self care:
“I have to come first, because if I am not healthy — I was struggling with anxiety last year — if I’m not mentally healthy, or I’m depleted from sharing so much, I won’t have anything left for when people approach me.”
Jennifer Lawrence on the biggest lesson she needs to learn:
“I'm still learning to slow down. My thoughts are so gigantic. I go from one small idea to 40 years from now, and I overthink everything, and nothing actually gets done. Worrying does nothing. So living in the moment and taking everything step by step is something I have not mastered. I am still working at it.”
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