Procrastination is a bad habit that many of us have developed over time - whether it be video games, the Internet or reading, basically any task that you perform that delays you from completing other, possibly more important tasks. Researchers have found that procrastination leads to depression, insomnia and an entire host of other issues that can even be life threatening!

I am guilty of procrastination myself, so these are four tips that I am using to break the cycle of procrastination and move toward a better life overall.

1. Stop lying to yourself! Don’t try to tell yourself, “I’ll do it later.” Do it NOW! When you tell yourself lies, you then make up more lies to cover the original set of lies and it just snowballs.
2. Set realistic goals and work toward them. One of my goals this week is to format my music collection into a easy-to-navigate file system. I’ve set the goal, now I can work toward it.
3. Give yourself rewards for a job well done. If you complete a task by your self-imposed deadline, reward yourself! It doesn’t have to be something expensive or even a tangible item - give yourself 5 extra minutes online, or have a piece of your favorite candy!
4. Stick to your deadlines! One of my most favorite cheats is to change the deadline repeatedly, so I can continue to procrastinate. It sounds like fun in the beginning, but I have chores and things-to-do that I’ve put off for months that way.

Do you have any tips for beating procrastination? Let’s hear it in the comments!

photo credit: terin.

As I am also now a public health expert (no, seriously I am an epidemiologist), here are some things to think about with salmonella and how to protect yourself.

Yes the language is not the typical manner in which I’m supposed to say it, but it makes sense to sensible people -

Salmonella has many different subtypes. I’ve personally studied serotype enteritidis. Anyways, it’s passed by what’s called the fecal-oral route. Yep, somebody’s poopie made it’s way to your mouth. Gross huh? In cases like with the tomatoes, it means that the chance that cattle or other animals were kept too close to the food stuff is pretty high. When you have chickens or other animals that lay eggs, if they have salmonella it comes out in the egg (which is why you should cook the egg thoroughly) and is also in the meat (which is why you cook the meat thoroughly, aka not bloody or even tinged pink). Salmonella lives in a LOT of places including your digestive tract (right next to the E coli). It’s when you get too much or a type that your body isn’t used to that you can get sick. Sooooo….

To try and prevent getting sick -

• Wash your hands when you are cooking (with soap, rinsing doesn’t have same effect)
• Don’t use the same utensils for meat and other foods you’re cooking
• Clean the counter with disinfectant after meat has been placed on it
• Clean anything that raw meat touches with soap and water (if food that will go uncooked touches it, toss it in the garbage)
• Cook food thoroughly
• If you go play with pets or to a farm or mess with other animals, wash your hands throroughly with soap and water after touching the animals. Do NOT touch your face at all before doing so. Thoroughly means sing Happy Birthday to yourself or the ABCs. That’s long enough. Sometimes I sing it twice.

To get better if you get sick -
You’ll probably have diarrhea and crazy cramps. Drink a TON of fluids. You might have bloody diarrhea. See a doctor.

If you want to be WAY COOL (i.e. give me something to do) go to the hospital and see someone. Let them get what’s called a stool culture (you poopie, lab people play and tell me whether it’s Salmonella) and treat you. If you heard about all the cases of salmonella, all those went to the doctor. Way more than that had milder cases and never went. The numbers reported are confirmed cases which means they go into my surveillance system (and then I get to ask you a few questions and try to figure out how you got sick so we can keep others from getting sick). No worries, it goes in with an identifying number, not your name so we won’t call you up a month later or anything.

Get rest and drink way more fluids than you thought you could ever drink

The infection will last for about 5-7 days and usually can be ridden out without any meds, but if you feel worse at any point, go immediately to the emergency room, do not pass go, do not collect $200. People do die from Salmonella infections, so don’t play any games.

Take care and good eating!

photo credit: Nutloaf

HarriMac enjoys a well lived life with a large serving of soul. Her special feature, Welcome to Soulville, appears every Thursday.

My new office has the oldest and slowest computer I’ve ever seen. So, I will walk across the street to Starbucks and hop on my laptop during lunch, just so I can catch up with my emails or Google Reader feeds.

This is only free wireless for 2 consecutive hours per day with a purchase made at least every 30 days with a Starbucks Card.

One of my biggest complaints about Starbucks is the expensive coffee, but to get free wireless for two hours while I savor a Caramel Frappachino might just be worth it!

There’s an extensive FAQ about the new wireless program - check it out. Seems like a good deal. Buy coffee once a month, and get 2 hours of free wireless per day!

photo credit: {meagen}