Beating the winter blahs.

Maybe you've had it with gloomy skies, slushy puddles, and the dull routine of winter. For those of us living in colder areas there seems to be a correlation between winter and depression. Some researchers have named the phenomenon seasonal affective disorder or, appropriately, SAD.

No one is certain of SAD's causes, although research indicates that fluorescent light bulbs may diminish the feeling.

Whether you have SAD or just a common garden-variety case of the blahs, you can try some behavior techniques; most require little time or effort. Choose a few of the following, and watch what a cheering effect they have:

* Move. No, don't sell your possessions and hitchhike southward. But do realize that physical activity is crucial to avoiding or combating depression. Instead of pulling the blankets over your head until the tulips blossom, get going.

Practice deep breathing on your way to work, and use stairs whenever possible. Take the dog for a walk instead of shoving him into the yard. Being outside on a cold sunny day actually helps you produce more vitamin D (and besides, walking is the world's greatest freebie). Practice your serve at an indoor tennis court or join a fitness or water aerobics class.

The more you resist the tendency to curl into a couch potato, the healthier, and happier, you'll feel.

* Spruce up a piece of your life. Few budgets cover a complete home remodeling job, but you can paint the inside of the linen closet a bright color, and buy a few bath towels to match. Or hang a few pegs in the garage to keep tools and rakes from adding to the clutter. Borrow an oil painting or sculpture from the library to spruce up your living room. Start an aquarium and add a new fish each week. Rearrange the furniture and toss out something you hate. Update your address book. Arrange all those loose photos in an album. Or rearrange the trinkets in your house, and make sure they all mean something; dust catchers become annoying, even depressing, after a while if you can't remember why you're hanging on to them.

Your newfound feeling of accomplishment will banish some blues.

* Make someone happy. Concerning yourself with the needs of others is a sure way to shift the focus away from your own down mood. According to Dr. Emmet Kenney of Omaha's Creighton University, "the more time you spend with others, the brighter your own outlook will be."

Send your spouse or best friend an "I appreciate you" card. Donate items to a clothing drive, pay someone a compliment, or write a note of thanks to a former teacher or career mentor who did all the "right" things when you really needed the help. Visit a hospital patient and bring one rose in a bud vase. Tell family members they're wonderful, especially when they need it most and deserve it least. You might even feed the birds, or let someone into line ahead of you. The smiles you generate will brighten your own world.

* Make a list of all the things you'd like to learn or the habits you want to break "somebody," and take one small step toward one small goal. Don't try to accomplish too much, suggests Judith Myers-Walls, family studies professor at Purdue University. "If you set unrealistic goals," she says, "you'll fail and become even more discourage." Sow a little seed instead and watch it sprout.

* Vary your routine. If you're a habitual night owl, go to bed early one evening with a good book. Eat lunch at an unfamiliar restaurant. Take a new route to work. Get up an hour early and watch the sun rise. This is also a good time to pray. Disconnect the TV one evening and take the family for a jog around the block. Have an indoor picnic on the living room rug. Remember that routine, though important, can breed boredom. Even if changes are temporary or minor, they'll provide a new outlook.

* Smile. Even if you don't feel especially happy, an upbeat attitude on the outside can eventually achieve the same results within. So act the way you'd like to feel, and soon the miracle will happen. Life will be beautiful, and spring will be here.

Joan Wester Anderson is a free-lance writer from Arlington Heights, Illinois.