With some time away from the office, now is your opportunity to collect yourself and head back to cubicleville refreshed and ready to be a less annoying coworker. When you’re back at the grindstone, here are three ways to be a better cubemate:

* If you eat stinky food, throw your trash away on the other side of the office. It’s inconsiderate enough that you chose to bring in that tuna sandwich or reheated chicken curry. Do right by your neighbors and don’t turn a nearby trashcan into a stinkbomb for the remainder of the day.

* See that headphone jack in your computer? Use it. We know how important it is to watch the cat video set to reggae or the Downfall parody in which Hitler complains about how many Downfall parodies there are. But let the rest of the office enjoy these treasures on their own time and invest in a set of headphones to keep the sounds to yourself.

* Keep your cell phone ringer off. Ringing phones are irritating enough when you’re sitting at your desk and pick up calls on the first blast of Rebecca Black’s Friday. When you inevitably head off to a bathroom or a meeting and leave your phone at your desk, its incessant ringing makes everyone around you curse your existence.

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