1. It’s official: The bloom is off the rose. What used to seem fun and exciting is now a regular drag. Is it Friday yet?

“Keep in mind that the bloom comes off every rose — whether it’s a job or a relationship or a business,” says life coach Cheryl Richardson.

The question you should ask yourself, she says, is whether you love what you do and are temporarily bored, or if you’re experiencing some deep-seated despair. “If you’re working for the weekends,” warns Richardson, “you’re wasting your life. If you suspect you’re just in a lull, however, she suggests considering what you can do to make work more meaningful and fun again.

One of the best places to find ideas is your personal life. Incorporate elements that you enjoy out of the office into your daily work ritual. Meeting friends for a cup of tea or coffee, sharing a laugh, telling a good story — all of these can and should be part of every day. The key is opening yourself up to making friends with your workmates.

You don’t have to be BFFs, but sharing a few personal details (last night’s horrible blind date or that embarrassing thing your kid did) can forge alliances that make the daily grind more enjoyable. In fact, a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that those who had developed a social network at the office were less likely to suffer from depression.

Sometimes, befriending coworkers takes a little initiation on your part. Start a company softball team or bowling league, organize a Friday afternoon happy hour in the kitchen, or see if that empty conference room is available for a post-work yoga class. Chances are your colleagues will thank you for taking the lead — and you’ll develop friendships that otherwise would have gone untapped.

Keep reading for more issues, including what to do when: the job takes over your life; there’s no promotion in sight; the office atmosphere is negative; and your to-do list never seems to end.

Learn what some companies are doing to

keep employees happy

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