Monday Morning Oversharer

I have a coworker who insists on telling me every detail of their weekend. Every. Single. Monday. I know all about their sourdough starter, their kid’s soccer games, and their dog’s digestion issues. How do I make it stop?
— Overloaded in Accounting

Dear Overloaded in Accounting,
Ah, the Monday Morning Oversharer—a classic office character who thinks your ears are their personal diary. Here’s your game plan: start describing your weekend, but make it progressively more bizarre each time. Mention your new hobby of “extreme ironing” (yes, that’s a thing), or your Sunday spent searching for Bigfoot in the local park. Soon enough, your coworker will either be so bewildered they’ll keep their stories to themselves, or they’ll join you on your Bigfoot hunt, which honestly could be a fun team-building exercise.

If that doesn’t work, bring a pair of headphones and a really good audiobook about quiet reflection… or just pretend it’s an audiobook and listen to sweet, sweet silence.