BALDWINSVILLE — The presents have been opened, we’ve eaten most of the cookies and all our guests have returned home. With the holiday season over, we find ourselves tired, wrung out and lonely. Winter’s short days and cold winds keep us at home and while it’s cozy, it can still be depressing. The Mayo Clinic suggests beating those sad winter moments by making your home as bright as possible, getting outside, getting exercise, and setting a regular sleep schedule.

Now is the time to wash or have your drapes cleaned. If you have room-darkening or heavy drapery treatments on your windows, take them down for the winter and see how much light comes in!

First, the Mayo Clinic encourages those with the winter blues to set a regular sleep schedule so you will always get enough sleep and keep from dozing all day. Getting outdoors provides cheery bright light therapy so take a walk, eat lunch by the river, or just step outside your doors for a few minutes to breathe in the cool, crisp air. Speaking of getting outside, your pet may desire to take you for a walk. Listen to your pet, not your feelings of tiredness. A short brisk walk or finding time for light exercise can brighten your mood.

Try to sit closer to the window or have more multi-spectrum lamps on when you are working or reading.

While you are relaxing near that window or walking around your neighborhood, may I suggest reading? Let the Baldwinsville Public Library staff motivate you to read more by joining the Winter Reading Program, which runs Jan. 3 through Feb. 19.

Using ReadSquared for the program, you can record and review every book you read or listen to. While you are chasing away the blues with an uplifting romance novel or sitting on the edge of your seat (closer to the window) with an exciting thriller, you can also earn raffle tickets that add to your chances of winning a great prize at the end of the program.

In case you aren’t sure what to read here are a few suggestions for January that could lift your spirits or thrill you to your bones. “The Little Book of Hygge” by Miek Wiking has great advice from the Danish, the world’s happiest people. “Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You” by Lin-Manuel Miranda offers uplifting advice from the genius behind the musical, “Hamilton.” “Hector and the Search for Happiness” by François Lelord is a novel that explores the lengths people will go to find what makes them happy. For classic adventure with lots of humor, try the book version of “The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure” by William Goldman. For a thrill, read Dani Pettrey’s “Alaskan Courage” series available in print and on Libby.

The link to ReadSquared and the BPL Winter Reading Programs is https://bvilleny05.readsquared.com/.

Register by creating a username and password. It’s free! If you participated in the Summer Reading Program, your login information can be used for the Winter Program. Contact Meghin for the children’s program, Dania for the teen program and Jacquie for the adult program with any questions or problems logging on (315-635-5631 or [email protected]).