Claire Hopple

Let’s face it, people love to throw around the word “healthy” as much as they love to sit on the couch in workout clothes.

Yes, you should be paying attention to matcha. Though it’s been around for hundreds of years, people on this side of the world are just starting to take notice of it. Better late than never to the healthy bright green tea party, I guess.

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.

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

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

You don’t need to be diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder to experience the negative effects of the colder, darker days. Every year, it’s like we’re all shocked about just how early it can get dark, wondering where the sun went as if we’ve never gone through winter before. To ease into this time of year and not get wiped out by the crueler side of Mother Nature, here are a few tactics to try.

You mention wanting to feast on a sweet stack of pancakes for Sunday brunch and the next time you open Instagram, there’s an IHOP ad star

If you’re unsure of your favorite, take a look at the shades dominating your closet, the common color found in your accent pillows and decor, the paint on your walls, perhaps the car in your driveway. These can be helpful hints, but your favorite color could also just be what you’re generally drawn to out in the world.

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?

Fully embrace your Netflix addiction, impress your AV Club-loving friends and get the most out of your account with these Netflix hacks that are no