DR. WALLACE: I'm beyond tired of seeing our family mailbox crammed with advertisements, "special offers" and other various types of unsolicited mail we didn't ask for. It seems like a lot of it is preapproved credit card applications, and now that I'm 19 and a college student, I'm getting inundated with all of this junk mail! It seems like I'm now getting more than my parents combined.

Is there anything I can do to stop all of this? Not only is it a nuisance, but I know a lot of trees are being destroyed to mail all of this paper to me. — Not Amused, via email

NOT AMUSED: The good news is that there are ways to cut down on how much unsolicited mail you get. If you don't want to get those prescreened credit and insurance offers in the mail, you have two choices for opting out of those offers:

— Opt out of getting them for five years.

— Opt out of getting them permanently.

Here are the directions on how to do so, according to the Federal Trade Commission:

"To opt out for five years: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). The major credit bureaus operate the phone number and website.

To opt out permanently: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to start the process. To complete your request, you'll need to sign and return the Permanent Opt-Out Election form (which you get online) once you've started the process."

To decide what types of mail you do and don't want from marketers, register at the Direct Marketing Association's consumer website DMAchoice.org, and choose what catalogs, magazine offers and other mail you want to get. DMAchoice will stop most, but not all, promotional mail. You'll have to pay a $2 processing fee, and your registration will last for 10 years.

If you do not have online access, register by sending your name and address (with signature), along with a $5 processing fee (check or money order payable to the Association of National Advertisers, or ANA) to:

DMAchoice

Consumer Preferences

P.O. Box 900

Cos Cob, CT 06807

This site also offers the no-cost option to stop mail from being sent to someone who's deceased or to a dependent in your care. Registration for the site's caretakers list will also last for 10 years.

DMAchoice.org also has an email preference service that lets you get less unsolicited commercial email. Registration is free and will last for six years.

To learn more about what options you have for dealing with unwanted email, go to the Federal Trade Commission's website and research spam email and how best to reduce and minimize it.

THEY TELL ME I'M TOO SERIOUS!

DR. WALLACE: How can I get myself to lighten up a bit? I ask you this because many of my friends say I'm too serious all the time and they say that I should "let my hair down" once in a while.

I am a serious student and I have career goals that I truly enjoy pursuing. However, I think I am a fun person during my personal time, but apparently my friends think otherwise. — I Guess I'm Pretty Serious, via email

I GUESS I'M PRETTY SERIOUS: As you go through your week, take notes on funny situations you happen to notice going on around you. Always seek to find a little humor or something to lighten the mood that you can bring into one of your next discussions with your friends.

Before you meet them the next time, listen to some of your favorite music, as this will both help relax you and elevate your mood.

Seek to discuss offhand topics at first, rather than work and school topics. Talk about things that you'd normally not discuss and ask others their opinions about these things. This both lightens things up and keeps the conversation flowing amongst the group.

You can also seek to exercise, do yoga, meditate, pray or do deep breathing exercises, whatever you prefer that makes you comfortable. Look forward to spending time with your friends as a respite, or a break from all the seriousness your life entails on a regular basis.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Paula Hayes at Unsplash