Claire Hopple

Just don’t do it. In fact, reading this is in direct opposition to the titular admonition above.

It’s no secret that time away from the office needs to be savored as much as humanly possible.

FAST, EASY RESULTS!

SHEDS POUNDS INSTANTLY!

It’s not that you don’t love the people calling you (unless you’re solely receiving spam calls), it’s just that you’d rather be with them. You think that the phone can’t replace seeing their faces, experiencing their presence in all the dimensions currently available to humans. And sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) you just need time to recharge by yourself. Why does that feel so wrong sometimes?

Nothing makes me get my Grinch on faster than glitter-bombed Christmas wrapping and nasally voices ringing in my eardrums at every store.

If you want to burn off your hair, possibly several limbs and maybe even your entire yard, then by all means, fire up that completely frozen bird. But if you’d rather play it safe, follow these simple tips:

It's a new year! But it's the same old story with you and your lover, er, I mean, your phone.

Sure, happiness is too abstract a concept to measure perfectly, and it’s safe to say that a serious case of the Mondays can find you no matter what poorly drawn boundaries you’ve planted yourself within. Still, an environment can make a significant impact on your overall mood.

Perhaps the following scenario describes you. You’re at a party and you remember that you detest small talk. You have a tinge of social anxiety.

First, if you’re bored, congratulations are in order.