Triggers are your feelings and thoughts about a situation that leads to a certain behavior (cell phone use). Learning why you are urged to use your cell phone can help you develop alternative options.  Are you on your cell phone because you have a strong desire to be social and connect with others? If so, you can fulfill your needs in ways that last longer such as face-to-face contact. Are you simply bored? Boredom can be a huge trigger for individuals to engage in addictive behaviors. If you are often bored, it may be time to develop hobbies or other activities that sustain your attention. Using your cell phone has been linked to increases in mood, which positively reinforces cell phone use.  Instead of using your phone to feel better, engage in alternative activities such as exercise/sports or creative activities such as writing or drawing. If you have a specific plan for each day and you are focusing on your responsibilities, you will have less time to spend on your phone. The bonus is that you will spend more time focusing on your goals and being productive.  If you are not employed you can apply to jobs or volunteer at a local organization. Try taking up a new hobby like knitting, sewing or playing an instrument. Spend more time doing things that need to be finished, whether it's chores or parents wanting a family day or time together. Try to do something constructive instead of using your phone the next time you feel the urge. Focus on your own personal goals and objectives for the day. Make a list of tasks that do not involve your phone and any time you have the impulse to check your phone, stop and gently redirect your attention to your responsibilities. Much of our desire to be on the phone comes from our innate and evolutionary drive to be social beings. However, there are other options to be social which may be more beneficial and satisfying in the long-term.   Instead of texting, write a letter or meet up with a friend for coffee or a meal. Instead of blasting your photos on Instagram, invite a family member over and physically show them your memories. This type of connection may increase quality intimacy. Think of each reason you use your cell phone (games, texting, phone calls). Some of these habits may be necessary to your work and daily life (perhaps work emails, etc), while others could be disrupting your life if they take away from your normal interactions and responsibilities. Attempt to replace each of these disruptive habits into more productive, social, and quality experiences.  If one of your issues is excessively playing games on your phone, think of an alternative such as inviting a friend over to play a board game. If you spend too much time looking at profiles on social media, meet up with a close friend or family member and ask them about what is going on in their life (instead of simply reading about it online).

Summary: Understand your triggers to phone use. Engage in other mood-boosting activities. Keep busy! Redirect your attention by doing something constructive. Accomplish social tasks in a different way. Replace your habits.


You can access most printer maintenance options by choosing print from any window and clicking on the properties menu located next to the name of the appropriate printer. Choose the maintenance tab and find the option to check nozzles. If the lines that print are blurred or broken, select the print head cleaner icon to clean away dried ink, dirt, and dust.  If necessary, you can also easily remove the printer heads and clean them with a little water or isopropyl alcohol. Be sure to test and clean your print heads often (i.e., once every few months) to avoid build-up. If you have “low ink level” alerts and missing or non-existent text, you may need to replace your ink cartridges. However, you can wait a few weeks until your printer is completely unable to print before actually installing new cartridges to get the most out of your existing ink.  Each printer calls for a specific ink cartridge type, so please follow the directions provided in your printer manual to properly replace your particular cartridge. These directions can typically be found by opening up the printer cover; on or in the cartridge or toner package; or onscreen when you computer alerts you to low ink levels. Remember that infrequent printer use can also cause pages to print incorrectly or not at all because of dried up ink or cartridges that have "settled". Like ink, your toner levels will also eventually get to a low level that will require you to replace them. However, also like ink, you don’t need to immediately replace your toner if your printer gives you a “low toner” warning or your printings are faded. Instead, wait until your printouts are completely blank before swapping out your toner cartridges. Sometimes you can “squeeze” a little more toner out of the cartridge by opening the printer’s toner cartridge bay, removing the cartridge, and shaking it back and forth to loosen up the toner that is still in the cartridge. Generally, your printer’s manufacturer will intend for the printer to be used with a specific type of toner and type of ink. Use only these recommended types to ensure your printer functions the way it was built to and to avoid any issues that might arise from using the wrong ink.  When shopping for ink cartridges, look for those that are marked “OEM,” which stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. These cartridges are built by the same company that built the printer itself and offer the best quality of ink. “Compatible Cartridges,” meanwhile, are those that have been built by third-party companies for use in a wider range of modern printers. Although these tend to be cheaper than OEM cartridges, their ink quality also tends to be less reliable. For example, if you’re printing high quality photos, use glossy paper instead of draft quality paper. You should also use the type of paper that the printer manufacturer recommends you use with its printer to avoid unforeseen issues in quality. If you’re unsure what type of paper or ink you should be using, consult the manufacturer’s website or contact customer service for more information on your specific printer model. To some extent, the quality of each individual print job is determined by the settings you set either directly on your printer or on your computer.  For example, if you’re trying to print high quality photos, selecting plain paper settings on your computer will result in very low quality printouts. You can usually change printer settings on your computer in the pop-up window as you go to print something, though some settings can also be changed on the printer itself.

Summary: Clean your printer heads to avoid blurry text and images. Swap out your ink cartridges when you can’t print at all. Replace toner cartridges if they get too low. Stick to the recommended ink and toner types. Match the type of paper to what you’re printing. Tweak the print quality on your computer’s printer settings as needed.


Place foil over a baking sheet. Make sure to cover the sheet completely in foil. In a small mixing bowl, measure out your brown sugar and cayenne. Use a fork or spoon to mix them until they make a uniform mixture. Lay your bacon out on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the sugar/cayenne mixture over the bacon until it's fully coated. Flip it over and coat the other side. Cook the bacon for seven minutes. Then, flip the bacon over and cook it for an additional five minutes. When done, bacon should be dark and crispy. Remove your bacon from the oven and use a spatula to move it to a plate. Let the bacon cool for about 10 to 20 minutes or until it's cold to the touch. Use your fingers to crumble the bacon into tiny pieces. Strive to get the bacon pieces as small as possible, so they look similar to bacon bits.
Summary: Line a baking sheet with foil. Combine the brown sugar and cayenne. Coat the bacon in the sugar/cayenne mixture. Cook your bacon at 400 °F (204 °C). Cool your bacon. Crumble your bacon.