According to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, New York is ranked as the least happy state in the nation. While some may be surprised by this statistic, this may not be surprising at all when you consider Binghamton in the wintertime.

In a city that seldom sees sunlight and has an average temperature of 22 degrees in February, it can be easy for students to fall victim to a case of the wintertime blues. However, Binghamton students are not alone.

According to a recent poll by the American College Health Association, 8 percent of 80,000 students polled reported feeling some kind of depression, especially after returning to school from the holiday break. Students reported feeling lethargic and had difficulty sleeping and waking up. Many also reported having difficulty concentrating in class and were more inclined to become socially withdrawn.

At the start of a new semester, with a combination of freezing, overcast days and the added pressures of unfamiliar courses and workload, it’s common for students to feel sad at this time of year. However, these symptoms can be a sign of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a mood condition commonly found at northern colleges and in areas where there tends to be a substantial amount of cloud-cover.

Students with SAD have normal mental health, but can experience symptoms of depression during extreme weather months, winter or summer.

Dr. Brandon Gibb, an associate professor of psychology and director of the Mood Disorders Institute, says that SAD is believed to be the result of differences in sunlight during the winter months, but can also be the result of many other factors.

“Tons of things (can influence depression). Stressful events, different genetic, biological and cognitive vulnerabilities, as well as your view of the world, can influence a person into being more or less depressed,” Gibb said. “Just because you get depressed in the winter does not mean you are clinically depressed.”

Gibb went on to say that students experiencing the winter blues should remain physically and socially active.

“Exercising is good, as well as being around friends. Anything that involves getting out there and doing things,” Gibb explained.

Students agree that staying busy is the way to avoid feeling down in the winter.

“You just have to keep yourself occupied,” sophomore economics major Ali Greenberg says. “I hang out with my friends and keep myself very busy.”

According to a recent article in New York Magazine, making very small alterations to your day can have a huge impact on your mood and happiness. Getting organized, even just making your bed, can help you feel calmer and more content, especially when you live in a small space.

It has also been proved that smiling, even when you aren’t feeling happy, helps you feel more confident and relaxed. Surrounding yourself with people that make you laugh, or even watching a funny movie, can have a huge impact on your general well-being, because laughter relieves muscle tension and stress, improves blood flow and releases endorphins (the body’s natural feel-good chemical). Standing up straight, eating dark chocolate, meditation and talking instead of texting were also found to have positive effects on a person’s mood.

One of the best ways to avoid feeling down during the dreary winter months may be to maintain an optimistic attitude. As sophomore accounting major Jessica Ferrucci put it, “I go to the gym every day. I also sit in my Snuggie, look out the window and pretend it’s summer.”