To procrastinate means to delay or put off doing something you should do, especially by doing less important or more enjoyable tasks instead. When you procrastinate on your science project, you might suddenly decide your room desperately needs cleaning, or you really should organize your baseball card collection right now.

Procrastination feels different from simply being busy or needing a break. A procrastinator knows the deadline is approaching and understands what needs to be done, but keeps finding reasons to do it later. You might procrastinate on practicing piano by watching one more video, or put off starting your book report by sharpening every pencil in the house twice.

Small amounts of procrastination might not cause problems, but habitual procrastination creates stress and rushed work. Someone who procrastinates on a big assignment can end up doing three weeks of work in one panicked night, producing lower-quality results than if they had simply started earlier.

The tricky part about procrastination is that it feels good in the moment but creates bigger problems later. Breaking work into smaller pieces and starting with just five minutes of effort can help stop the procrastination cycle before it begins.