I’ll do it later.

Even if you believe you work better under pressure, you won’t do as well if you procrastinate.

High school students always seem to be buried in work and often feel like the best solution is to put it off and focus on sleeping or taking time for themselves.  Of course, rest is necessary, but wasting time is unhealthy.

“I think with so many things competing, it’s hard to know what needs to be done and in what order,” says History teacher Betsy Gutstein.  It is very true that high school students have many projects and assignments piled up at all times. And when you’re also in sports or other after school activities, it can be even harder to think about managing time.

“The thing about procrastination is that the longer you put something off, the harder your life becomes,” says senior Bella Thoren. “When things start to pile up, it can become really hard to see over all the work you still have to do.”

According to Time magazine, procrastination may be in your genes. It’s been passed down, mostly through more recent generations given our development in technology and our shortening attention spans. Now, as a society, we tend to focus on long-term goals.

This buildup of assignments ends up adding stress to students’ lives, leading to sleepless nights and increased tiredness during classes.

“My work has definitely been affected by procrastination,” says sophomore Mae Hurtig.  “It’s best not to procrastinate because the sooner you do your work, the sooner you can do what you want and feel accomplished.”

The main thing we students need in order to change our study habits is will power. If a student has enough will power and thinks about the consequences of their procrastination, then they will realize that they have to buckle down and get to work.

So how do you deal with procrastination?  Well, according to Time magazine, it’s not as hard as you might think. One way to prevent yourself from putting down your work is to think about your future self.  Think about what your “tomorrow self” would say to your “right now self.”

“If someone wants to stop procrastinating, they have to decide they really want to turn around. We have good habits and bad habits, but when you recognize that you can benefit from making a change, that’s a good motive,” says Gutstein.

If you feel like you’re a “chronic” procrastinator, all you have to do is assess your situation and find things that will make it easier for you to sit down, focus, and do all the work you need to do, even if it’s tiresome.  Finish what needs to get done, and you’ll find yourself with much more time to relax and do what you want to do.