Q. Holiday shopping and workplace decorations are in full swing, but my enthusiasm is going in the opposite direction. I like my job, but the holiday hoopla around the office really makes me more gloomy. How come? Any suggestions? —Frieda T.

A. Frieda, you’re not alone. For many people, holidays are also a time for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, depression, and family conflict—and that spills over into the workplace.

Margo Frey, president of Milwaukee-based Career Development Services Inc. (margocds@execpc.com), finds that mid-winter work blahs can affect our career satisfaction in the same way the flu can affect our health. Here’s what she suggests to boost workplace spirits:

1. Each day, plan to do something new or different.

Set time aside to read some of those professional journals piled on your shelf. Re-arrange your usual work schedule (maybe organize your files in the morning instead of at the end of the day.) Take coffee breaks at a different time—and with different people.

2. Re-think tomorrow’s non-work schedule.

Block out at least 15 minutes to make a list of things that might be fun to do. Then find another 15 minutes on your next day's schedule and do one of the fun things on your list.

4. Question the importance of every task.

5. Eliminate or cut back some tasks so you can spend more time on others that are more enjoyable or more productive—or both. Is there anything that you could do in a different way and get better results? Plan or participate in meetings differently? Solve problems using different techniques?

Roger von Oech's latest book, Expect the Unexpected (Or You Won't Find It) (The Free Press, 2001), is a great tool to use when you're in a rut. He uses 30 "creative insights" of an ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, to show how to change old habits of thought and stir imaginations. For example:

Dogs bark at what they don't understand. This is especially relevant when we try to make changes at work. Von Oech offers two tips on giving and receiving new ideas:

Beware any barking dog (criticism).

New ideas can threaten and disturb the existing order. So most people have a warning device in their minds - a barking dog - to alert them to strange new ideas. Then they often respond by saying that the idea is dumb or won't work.

Muzzle your own barking.

We tend to "bark" at other people's ideas. When you encounter an unusual or challenging idea, don’t say anything negative for 60 seconds. Instead, try to focus on the idea's interesting and potentially useful features.

Gregg Krech,( todo@together.net) Director of the ToDo Institute near Middlebury, Vermont, has also discovered several things we can to put more “ahs” into our holiday workplace:

Lower Your Sugar Intake

You might get a quick "lift" from Christmas cookies with green icing. But it may not be long before you crave a cup of coffee or a piece of pie just to help you feel a bit more alert. And as our blood sugar levels crash, so does our energy level and spirits, and we look for even more sugar.

Exercise More

Lift your spirits with more exercise. (If you walk more, you’ll also get an extra bonus: more natural sunlight while being outside, which also helps to fight depression during winter months).

Cut Back on Control

Many of us believe that our co-workers would be better off if they would just take our advice. Why not take the entire month of December “off,” leave your teacher/counselor hat in the closet, and just concentrate on enjoying your co-workers?

Do Something Extra

Once or twice a day, step outside your own needs and problems and do something helpful for a co-worker. Offer to help with a report; fill in for someone at a meeting; take on an extra task. What could be more in line with the holiday spirit than to help another employee out of a tough spot?

Reflect on Your Good Fortune

Make a list of at least 10 things about your job that you’re most grateful for. This can help you shift your attention to the ways your job is supporting you so you don't just take it for granted.

Focus on the Present

Much of our emotional suffering occurs because our attention either jumps to the future (worries about what will happen) or drifts to the past (sadness about what already happened). Paying attention to the “now” in your life. Each minute we’re alive is a gift; that’s one reason why we call it the “ present.” Each moment is our real life.

Finally, don't expect to feel happy, grateful and joyful throughout the entire holidays. It's not natural. What is natural is the ebb and flow of feelings from one moment to the next. When those inevitable moments of depression, fatigue or anxiety present themselves, don't let them paralyze you or throw you off course. Just take them along on your walk or let them accompany you while you spend time on your hobby. They'll move on, just as sure as winter will turn into spring.