Valerie Ettenhofer
Staff Writer

The effects of procrastination can feel like a sickness, and often lead to scenarios that are similarly unpleasant. So why do people do it and how can they stop it?

Procrastination is an odd and illogical problem in that it involves acting in a way that is counterproductive to one’s own priorities. When a person has one time-sensitive goal, they tend to put it off in order to spend their time in a less important way.

The problem may come about for several reasons, including fear of failure or of making a decision. Other causes of procrastination may include a lack of information, motivation, organization or impulse control. Some put off tasks due to perfectionist tendencies, while others simply gain an adrenaline-like thrill from pulling off their goal at the last possible minute.

Whatever the source, procrastination often causes short-term stress and an undercurrent of frustration or shame that makes enjoying other activities while a task goes undone difficult.

How and with what a person is likely to procrastinate can be influenced by their personal values and confusion therein. A student may struggle to balance academics, work, and personal life, and decide to put off a different facet of work in exchange for finishing another each week.

According to “Psychology Today,” twenty percent of people would call themselves chronic procrastinators. Academic situations offer up more deadlines than any other area of life, and it shows; close to 70 percent of college students suffer from procrastination.

One problem among those who love to ‘put off until tomorrow what could’ve been done today’ is that they assume their mood, motivation or energy level will be better later than they are now. The delayed stress that arrives when these people realize that they still don’t feel like doing the chore the next day can lead to problems within the immune system and a distinct lack of energy.

Though some believe procrastination is a mental issue rather than a habitual one, it can be possible to initiate healthier habits of time management. For some, isolation with the project in question may be the best bet. Others work better by rewarding themselves for each completed task, while some may simply be in need of a clear and concise to-do list and plan of action for each day.

There are near-endless tools to aid in the stopping of procrastination at one’s disposal, from sticky notes to apps that temporarily block users from going to the social network they waste the most time on. Spend time researching which option may be most useful to you—but not until you finish your homework.