It's very easy to get depressed during the winter. It's cold and gloomy. Every time you go outside you feel ill. You wish the winter would just end and the summer would arrive. I personally feel these symptoms of winter depression or seasonal affective disorder each winter. Today I'm going to talk all about how I use indoor tanning to combat this depression and feel my best during the winter. Believe me, it my sound crazy but you can enjoy the winter, feeling and looking your best with the help of your local tanning salon.

Light Therapy In Your Local Tanning Salon

©iStockphoto.com – Spanic

Let me start by explaining that I am not a doctor. This article is just about my personal experience. If you are feeling depressed, I sincerely hope this article is helpful, but please also consult your doctor as soon as possible. This is not medical advice. Now, on to the fun stuff: Light therapy is a known way to combat seasonal affective disorder (or winter blues). The basic premise is that you are feeling depressed because you are not getting enough sunlight. By exposing your body to simulated sunlight on a regular basis, your feelings of depression will be greatly reduced (or even gone). How cool is that!

Indoor Tanning Promotes Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Health

You already know it, I'm about the biggest proponent of indoor tanning out there. I frequent my local tanning salon regularly and love it. While I spend a lot less time tanning indoors during the summer because I prefer relaxing outside with a day of outdoor tanning, I am a huge customer of my local tanning salon in the winter. I truly believe in the health benefits of tanning. The health benefits are really on multiple levels, with the following ones really standing out in the context of fighting winter depression:

• Combat your winter depression. Visiting your local tanning salon regularly is a great way of receiving light therapy (again, please discuss with your doctor). The rays in your stand up or lay down tanning bed simulate real sunlight. It feels like you're laying on the beach!
• Look your best. We all know that we feel good when we look good. Tan skin is one of the best ways to live like a celebrity and look your best. Visit the tanning salon in the winter and you will look so great and feel it to.
• Tanning is a great source of Vitamin D. We all need sun exposure to live a healthy lifestyle. It's easy to get Vitamin D deficient in the winter when there is no sunshine. Get your Vitamin D via indoor tanning.

How To Tan In Your Fight Against Winter Depression

So you're ready to start an indoor tanning routine to combat your winter depression. I sincerely hope that it works for you like it has for me. Before going, wanted to make sure to provide some useful tips. First, please understand that indoor tanning is a gradual process. As with anything good, you will not see results immediately. Make sure to tan safely and start off slow. Take your time. Talk to the people at the salon and also follow the instructions on the machine to the letter. If this means only tanning 2 minutes your first time, so be it. Second, make sure to go regularly. Again, talk to the people working at the salon but also read the instructions on the tanning bed. I suggest going 2-3 times per week. Again, as with any investment (like a new workout routine), you must invest time and be persistent to see the results. Third, be safe and use indoor tanning lotion such as Hawaiian Tropic. Tanning lotion is a great way to deepen your tan and protect your skin. It's really important to keep your skin moist in the winter because tanning beds can really dry out your skin. If you heed these tips and stay with it, I can assure that you will get really tan and start feeling as good as you look. After a few weeks of diligent tanning, your base tan will be great and your winter depression will be just a memory. Goodbye winter depression!

Anti Depression Tanning Beds

So you're ready to go to the tanning salon and there are so many options! Where should you start? It's actually really easy. My overall advice is to try a stand up or lay down traditional tanning bed. A good bed for beginners is the Sundash. In terms of fighting winter depression, I would not recommend the Mystic Tan. While Mystic Tan can really be a great option if you need to look good quickly, it will not give you the benefits of simulated sunlight. Mystic tan sprays the tan on you, while a traditional lay down or stand up bed will actually simulate the real sunlight so you get the full benefits of a natural suntan, Vitamin D, and fighting winter depression with light!

Have Fun Tanning While Fighting Depression

Check out the articles throughout this site. You will see that tanning is a lifestyle for me. My life is hectic. When you combine a bad job with a bad economy with a cold winter, there's no wonder I get depressed! Fighting this depression is not just about getting the rays from the tanning bed, but making the entire visit to the salon a fun and relaxing journey. Splurge on a sexy swimsuit (who cares if only you see it, you should feel great about yourself), high quality tanning lotion, and even a nice beach bag to bring your items to the salon. Bring your favorite CD and listen to music while tanning. Most machines have a built in CD player (or at least a radio). Make sure to bring a refreshing bottled water or beverage. Pamper yourself a bit to make the experience more than just crossing another task off of your list. Take your time and don't drive fast. Who cares if you waste 15 minutes or even a half hour, your health is worth it. Tanning is a fun spiritual journey that's all about treating yourself to a great time. I sincerely wish you the best of luck and hope these tips are helpful in your quest to feel your best and live a fulfilling winter. They have really helped me and I hope they help you too.