Limit caffeine
Caffeine provides a tempting solution for seasonal energy slumps. But overreliance on caffeine can create more problems than it solves. "When it comes to sleep, many people are sensitive to caffeine, which will definitely affect your sleep cycles," says Dr. Peter Bongiorno, a naturopath at Inner Source Natural Health. "People who aren't sleeping well are going to have more problems with depression, mood disorders and fatigue."

Too much caffeine can contribute to weight gain as well. Coffee is a diuretic, and when you're dehydrated, you're likely to mistake thirst for hunger and overeat. "This is especially problematic in the winter," says Bongiorno. "Most people think you lose the most water in the summertime, but you actually lose more water through respiration in cold, dry air."

For a gentle, caffeine-free energy boost, Dr. Sushma Shah, a naturopath at Nature's Intentions Naturopathic Clinic, recommends two energizing herbal teas: yerba maté and ginseng.

Exercise outside
Exercising in the morning sunlight will boost your energy and mood and can help lift that morning fog that plagues many of us in the winter months.

"Exercising outside in the morning light helps reset the circadian rhythms that are disrupted by the short days," Bongiorno says. "Even if it's not bright sun, it's still relatively bright compared to being inside with incandescent lighting."

Shah stresses that both exercise and exposure to daylight help increase levels of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that tends to be lower in people suffering from winter depression.

You needn't exercise for long. While 30 minutes daily is ideal for maintaining fitness, Bongiorno says even 10 to 20 minutes of daily outdoor exercise will help boost mood, increase energy and enable the body to produce vitamin D. Regular exercise will also help combat the weight gain that many people struggle with in the winter months.

Eat a well-balanced diet
Be careful about relying on sugar and carbohydrates to deal with low energy. Such diets can lead to dramatic swings in energy level. They're also a likely cause of winter weight gain.

Instead, Bongiorno recommends eating meals and snacks that contain a balance of proteins, healthy fats and slower-to-digest whole-grain carbohydrates. This will help keep you feeling satisfied for longer and lessen those carbohydrate cravings.

In addition, he suggests eating smaller, more frequent meals to maintain your energy level throughout the day. This also helps prevent intense hunger, which in turn helps prevent overeating. Always eat slowly so your body has time to register that it's satisfied -- and remember to eat only until you are no longer hungry, not until you are uncomfortably full.

Maintain a consistent wake-up time
Although winter weekends seem like the perfect time for sleeping in, many experts say this habit is counterproductive. "Sleeping in on days off is a risky behavior, since it allows the internal clock to drift later, forcing a correction on Monday morning," says Michael Terman, director of the Center for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms at the Columbia University Medical Center. "For some people, these repeated weekly jet lags can trigger major mood shifts that might take several days to clear up."

Instead, Terman advises that people get enough sleep on weekdays so there is no need for extra sleep on the weekends. This means getting to sleep early enough every single day. A few tips for those finding it difficult to fall asleep early: Finish dinner before 8 p.m., keep the lights low in the evening and strictly limit caffeine.