University students have a lot of freedom but not much structure. This can be bad for habitual procrastinators. Studies have shown that at least half of university students procrastinate to a level that is potentially harmful to their education.
But this may not be the only negative result of putting things off until a later date. Studies have found a link between procrastination and poor health. It is associated with higher levels of stress, unhealthier lifestyles and delays in seeing a doctor about health problems.
However, these studies – by the nature of their design – cannot tell us the direction of the relationship. Does procrastination cause poor physical and mental health because people, say, put off starting a new exercise regime or seeing a doctor about a health problem? Or is it the other way around? Does poor physical health, say, lead people to procrastinate because they don’t have the energy to do the task now?…