Dr. Clifford Nass, a professor of communication at Stanford University, says multitasking is a complete waste of time.  He points out that when you do two demanding things at once, you don’t do either one as well as you should, because your brain is too busy jumping back and forth.  In fact, studies show that your IQ drops 10 points when you’re constantly being interrupted.  Multitasking also decreases your performance, limits your memory, and raises your anxiety.

Now there are a few times when it’s OK to multitask:

·                     Talking on the phone and doing chores.  Menial tasks that you do over and over – like folding laundry or washing dishes – don’t require much mental focus.

·                     Listening to music while working on the computer or doing homework – as long as there’s no singing.  Playing classical music, for instance, can help you focus better on the task at hand and even improve your mood.

·                     Knitting or crocheting while watching TV – Both are mindless activities.  And, when your hands are busy, you’re less likely to inhale a giant bag of Cheetos.

Here are the top three medical problems your smart-phone is causing, courtesy of MSN Health:

·                     #3 - Joint and muscle pain.  Constant texting wreaks havoc on the nerves and tendons in your wrists and elbows, making everything, from carpel-tunnel syndrome to arthritis, worse.  Plus, it's creating a few new problems, like cell phone elbow.  That's when the nerve that runs through your elbow, short circuits because of how you hold your phone. Texting also causes trigger thumb.  That's when the tendons in you thumbs are so worn down that they just lock up.  In both cases you may need surgery to correct the problem.

·                     #2 - Increased risks of accidents.  It doesn't matter how many laws are passed or how many pile-ups people hear about on the news, people still text while driving and walking.  Cell phones are now blamed in a quarter of all traffic accidents.  Plus, focusing on your smart phone throws off your proprioception.  That's your awareness of where your body is – and that makes accidents more likely.

·                     #1 – Your mental health.  Psychologist Shari Corbitt says people can literally become addicted to their smart phone and suffer severe anxiety if they're cut off from their technology.  This leads to anti-social behavior. Corbitt says, in our technology-driven world, you can't just go cold-turkey. She suggests limiting access to your smart-phone to certain times of the day. Being on a schedule will help you develop some smart-phone self-control.

Got a couple of friends you're itching to fix up on a date? The Millionaire Matchmaker's Patti Stanger has these tips:

• Listen.  Don't fix people up just because they're both single. Find out what your friend likes first!
• Chemistry comes first.  If she likes short, nerdy guys, you can't set her up with a tall, sexy athlete and expect it to work.
• Dig deep.  After you get past the physical, what makes these people a good match?  Does he even want a relationship?  You can't set up a player and a good girl.
• Step back.  Once they agree to go out, relax and let them call to tell you how it went.

Burning calories doesn't have to mean sweating buckets at a gym or killing your knees jogging in the park. Here are some fun, easy ways to burn some extra calories, courtesy of Health magazine:

• Give your room a new hue -- Rolling on a new coat of paint burns 200 calories an hour.
• Get groceries -- 45 minutes of pushing a grocery cart burns about 115 calories.
• Sing! -- Belt out your favorite tunes;singing burns about 135 calories an hour.
• Get smart -- A 2-hour game of Scrabble will make you smarter and burn 200 calories!
• Say "aahh ..." -- Give your honey a massage for 45 minutes and burn about 200 calories.