But why do we procrastinate- why do so many intelligent and capable people wait for the last minute to complete a task? Is it just that our work ethic is lacking or is there something deeper?

Research tells us that procrastination is a behavior that is learned over time that may end up spiraling into a lifestyle. People may be using procrastination as a way to avoid underlying feelings or responsibility.

Dr. Ferrari, a psychology professor at De Paul University in Chicago, has separated procrastinators into two main categories. There are the decisional procrastinators, who avoid “not making a decision [to] absolve responsibility for the outcome of events.” Lastly, perhaps the most common of them all, are procrastinators who avoid doing anything for “fear of failure or even success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.”In a recent Facebook survey, when asked what AP classes students were taking this year, the answer that overwhelmingly received the most votes was AP Procrastination.

This evidence reveals that procrastination is actually a lack in self confidence. Even if this is so, does procrastinating really hurt us?

Medical professionals from all around the world agree that procrastination will put extreme stress and anxiety on us over time. This results in elevated stress levels, loss of sleep and lowering of the immune system. Although these effects seem minor in the short term, they are major contributors to malfunctions in the cardiovascular system- which is extremely sensitive to anxiety and stress.

Perhaps we should stop waiting until the last minute to do a task when we have the rest of the day waiting for us. Is waiting until tomorrow worth it in a few decades?