For the shortest month of the year, Feb. can really drag on. The routine is on dull repeat while the work just keeps coming. What should someone do to escape the winter blues and the stress?

1. The easiest thing is to simply breathe deeply. Spend five minutes on your breathing, sit up straight, close your eyes, with a hand on your belly. Inhale through the nose, pause, then breathe out through the mouth.

2. Meditate. It does not have to take a large chunk of the day. Take a few minutes to sit up straight with both feet on the floor and close your eyes. Concentrate on positive thoughts and be aware of your breathing.

3. Reach out. Humans are social beings. Talking and connecting with friends, family, and people around you will naturally reduce your stress level.

4. Be present. What is in the past is over with and what is in the future is mostly beyond your control. The only place you are, the only thing you can change right now is the present.