By: Johnathan Limbaugh

“Avoid Procrastination. So elegant in its simplicity. While we’re at it, let’s make sure obese people avoid overeating, depressed people avoid apathy, and someone tell beached whales they should avoid being out of the ocean,”

With these words, Tim Urban, author of the popular blog, “wait, but why,” perfectly summarizes the struggles of trying to overcome procrastination.

The Greek poet Hesiod once said, “The man who procrastinates struggles with ruin.”

Procrastination affects all people, but research has shown that it particularly affect college-age people. It is a habit that, according to the American Psychological Association, 80 – 95% of college students have today.

While there is no general type of procrastinator, “Several impressions have emerged over years of research,” according to the association for Psychological Science, “Chronic procrastinators have perpetual problems finishing tasks while situational ones delay them based on the task itself.”

A commonality between both is that they struggle with self-discipline and and prioritizing.

Students at the University have spoken about their own struggles with procrastination. Nick Kearley, John McLaughlin, Colton Roldano, and Ethan Ivy all had something to say, but Colton’s words showed a common theme in their struggles.

“I tell myself I’ll have time to do it tomorrow, then tomorrow comes and I have no motivation to get it done.” Roldano said.

Time management skills and motivation are topics I see brought up frequently when reading articles about procrastination. There are articles, blogs and websites all over the internet that delve into procrastination and the challenge of overcoming it.

Among all the articles linking the habit to mental illness, and blogs combining extensive data from other sources,the outtake from my research is that procrastination is neither hereditary nor conditional. Procrastination is not a mental illness, but it is a symptom of various mental disorders like OCD, Anxiety disorder, ADHD, and depression.

Personal Experience

In my first year of college, I experienced the consequences of procrastination for the first time. My grades fell below the required margins for financial aid.

Anyone who has ever procrastinated has experienced the consequences of putting things first hand, but why is it so difficult to avoid doing something we know is detrimental to our success?

The Nature vs. Nurture Debate

Psychologists have debated whether procrastination is a conditioned behavior or a hereditary condition. Research has shown that there is a significant genetic component to procrastination. The argument seems to be split between the “nature and nurture” aspect, but it is reasoned that Procrastination is a product of both.

Other in depth studies have linked procrastination to mental illness.

As a common symptom of various psychological disorders, procrastination is a habit that can be ingrained into the psyche just like other characteristic symptoms of disorders like ADHD, Anxiety disorder, Depression and Post Traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, it is an extremely difficult thing to not do.