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It’s that time of year again.

The leaves are changing, it’s getting chillier (depending on where you live), and the days are getting shorter. While I love the changing of seasons, I know that it can also mean there are those who struggle with seasonal depression.

In addition to things such as therapy or Happy Lamps, there are some other simple things that you can try in order to set yourself up for success in the coming days.

To me, self-care is not something that is just confined to a Saturday or Sunday affair, but rather in the little things we can do for ourselves throughout each day.

Though this list is not exhaustive, hopefully if implemented, it can have the power to shift your mood and therefore add some sunshine to your cloudy days.

1. Start your day with gratitude.

I’m sure that is nothing you haven’t heard before, but I swear gratitude is medicine. Did you know that when you are in a state of gratitude, you cannot feel lower vibration emotions at the same time?

Each morning when I wake up, I write in my gratitude journal. I start by writing down a song or a quote for the day and then one or sometimes more things that I am grateful for. I make sure to include what would make the day great and I swear just that simple act alone feels like a level of kindness toward myself because I am not focusing on all that is wrong in my life.

What we give our energy to will only grow bigger over time. If you are watering the negativity in your life then negativity will grow, but if you are watering positivity then positivity will grow. See how that works?

2. Listen to a song that feels uplifting.

Music can be such a powerful healer. Did you know that music can impact the molecular structure of water? According to Emoto’s research, music like heavy metal and death rock can have adverse effects on water molecules whereas music like Mozart creates crystal clear structures.

I’m not suggesting that you need to jam out to some classical music each morning (though no judgment if that’s your gig), though I am suggesting to stay mindful of the type of music you choose. I personally love songs that I can dance to or feel inspired by. In fact one of my favorite songs as of late is “Cold Heart –PNAU Remix” by Elton John and Dua Lipa. There is just something about the beat and of course the song in general that I just really enjoy.

Honestly, finding music that is more positive is generally more helpful to your overall health and well-being as you are mostly water. Which brings me to number three.

3. Speak kindly to yourself.

Yep! We’ve all heard this one too, right? There is a reason why affirmations are so wonderful for us. Think about it, if you are made of mostly water and water can be changed by music, it stands to reason that you can be changed by the words you speak to yourself.

If you struggle to say nice things to yourself, here are a couple of things that helped me when I first started. One thing you can do is get some prayer beads or a mala and state one positive thing about yourself for each of the 108 beads. Honestly, you may have to repeat certain words if you struggle to come up with something for each one and that’s okay. So long as you are saying something kind and the intention is toward yourself that’s all that matters.

Another thing you can try is something that Matt Kahn suggests, which is to remember that if you would not say it to a small child—do not say it to yourself. It’s a practice, but if you’re newer to this self-love journey, you’ll need to remain hyper vigilant toward that inner critic you have let run the show for so long and reign them in when necessary.

The bottom line here is that when we are treating ourselves with love and compassion, when we are in a state of gratitude, and when we are nourishing ourselves with positive music and words, we are supporting our brains and bodies to feel more positive about ourselves. When we feel more positive about ourselves, we also feel more positive about the world around us, and when we feel more positive about the world around us, we help uplift the vibration of planet Earth.

Like drops in the ocean, we are all of the same energy field, we are all mostly water, and how we support ourselves on a cellular level is up to us regardless of the number of hours that the sun is shining for each day.

If you found this article to be of benefit, please give it a heart and if it suits you, please comment below to share what some of your favorite things are to help shift your mood.

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