Chemistry homework, check. English essay, check. De-stress and relax—not quite.

In the bustling whirlwind of academic commitments and extracurriculars, a to-do list seems indispensable. A survey conducted by LinkedIn found that 63 percent of professionals use to-do lists. How else are you supposed to remember to finish that history project and study for the math test next week? Not only does a list remind you of unfinished assignments, it also wards off any temptation to procrastinate by concentrating your focus on the tasks at hand, and at the end of a long day, the feeling of checking something off a list is satisfying beyond words.

However, the very perks and benefits of a to-do list can also be agents of stress. A study conducted by psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik demonstrated that we are 90 percent more likely to dwell over the tasks we have not completed than we are over the tasks we have completed, which leads to persistent feelings of unfulfillment and anxiety. Seeing a list of all the unfinished tasks in front of us only intensifies those feelings.

There is also value in unstructured thoughts and spontaneity, which a to-do list cannot provide. While spur of the moment impulses appear to be a hindrance to productivity, some of the greatest discoveries and works of art were products of time spent in leisure. If Newton had always been rushing to finish a list of errands, would he have had time to watch an apple fall from a tree and develop his theory of gravity?

That is not to say that to-do lists are not conducive to productivity. Without them, it would be too easy to forget to finish that history project and study for the math test next week. But as Zeigarnik’s research suggests, overreliance on to-do lists can lead to stress. The secret to effective time-management lies in the delicate balance in between.

In this case, the balance lies in how much you trust yourself to remember everything that you need to do. Try to avoid looking through the list after you make it, then see how many of the tasks you complete by yourself by making a “done” list at the end of the day. Not only will you develop time-management skills, you will also avoid the stress and anxiety that comes with overusing a to-do list, and eventually, you might find time to check off “de-stress and relax.”