WASHINGTON — Some contend that the third Monday in January is “Blue Monday,” the most-depressing day of the year.

While Snopes.com has written it off as an idea “mainly advanced by marketers and public relations firms,” there’s no doubt that the short days and low temperatures make this time of year more of a slog than, say, early May.

For some people, a dreary wintry mood might even be seasonal affective disorder, a type of treatable depression.

Whether you have SAD or just “the blues,” here are some things that can help you cope with cold-weather melancholy before those cherry blossoms bloom again.