Why can't I force myself to go to class?

When we are struggling, sometimes we do not have energy to do things that others might take for granted, such as get out of bed, shower, get dressed, eat, sleep, or definitely go to work/class. When we fight with ourselves, such as trying to force ourselves to do something that has a pattern of exhausting us or causing us stress, it can make it even more difficult to do the thing. Going to class is important but your health and mental health are even more important. It sounds like you are really trying, and that's all you can expect from yourself. Celebrate your effort! You gave it a shot and it didn't happen, that's okay. It doesn't mean you will feel like this forever, or that it was your fault, even if you consciously decided not to go to class. Going to class or work can be a form of a self-harm if we are not in the right mental space, so it is totally okay to take a day off or more as needed as long as we try now and then and avoid making it a bad habit. People with chronic anxiety, chronic pain, depression, past trauma, and many other afflictions find it very difficult to do things others take for granted, and may end up blaming themselves even though it is ultimately not their fault that they are feeling too low to complete tasks or meet responsibilities. There are preventative measures you can try to take, to try to feel more rested or more optimistic when it is time to go to class, but those thought techniques take time to instill, so have patience with yourself, reward yourself for even trying, and don't push yourself too hard. Some ideas might be rewarding yourself for getting out of bed, rewarding yourself for getting out of the house, rewarding yourself when you get to class, and a huge reward at the end of the class day. Any step you take towards your goal of getting to class is worthy of celebration! You're human and humans feel things and struggle sometimes. You may be interested in reading about the Spoon Theory, a theory that uses an analogy to describe why people with low energy or low motivation have such a hard time with things that other people maybe don't. Good luck to you and treat yourself to something delicious, just for being aware of this issue and wanting to change it.

In my case, it was because I was really anxious and I thought of all the worst case scenarios that could happen to me when I go to class.

Sometimes, it can be hard to find the motivation to go to class or work. Depression or stress can cause you to rather avoid extra pressure. In addition to seeking medical advice, such as a therapist or a psychiatrist, it is important to keep your personal goals in mind. Instead of thinking of personal goals as long term goals, focus on personal goals for the day. The goals can be really simple, such as 'Today, I will eat breakfast, take a shower, go to class, and come home for lunch'. It might be easier to tackle smaller goals than large goals, and the wonderful thing about small goals is that they lead to large accomplishments.

It can be hard to force yourself to go to class for many different reasons. A common one is anxiety. Classes can make people very anxious due to tests, presentations, classmates, the teacher, etc. For me, for example it is difficult to go to class because I feel like there are many expectations that I have to meet and that makes me very anxious.

When I was in college, my depression really became a prominent issue. I skipped classes, I stopped hanging out with my friends, I could hardly get out of bed most days. Forcing myself to go to class wasn't an option for me, my number one priority was selfcare. Taking a shower, getting enough sleep, making sure I went outside, talking to a friend, and getting help for myself. I saw a therapist and ended up getting on medications that really helped me on my journey to healing. This and taking care of myself got me back on track and going to class!

In my opinion people make their own choices, but they're heavily influenced by their emotions. It sounds like anxiety/worry is stopping you from being able to, so maybe you need to find some way to help yourself with this. :)

Sometimes school can be a hard thing to motivate yourself into. Just think of all the future benefits it holds. Also taking a day or two to yourself to mentally relax is never a bad thing just know it's not forever.

Well, sometimes it's just hard. It could also be a symptom of a bigger problem, like depression. Only you know how much your life is being impacted by this struggle, but you may benefit from seeing a counselor about this if it persists. Things like goals, rewards, self-encouragement, and working on addressing and expressing other hard emotions and painful thoughts that surround these negative feelings may also be helpful in getting you back on track and motivated to go to school.

You may be experiencing a lack of interest towards school, or maybe you're just afraid of something school-related. You shouldn't force yourself, but you should try to better understand what's causing you to be so uninvolved and possibly attempt to change your feeling about it,

Because you might feel like whatever they are teaching you won't help you out in the real world. But it will get you somewhere. Don't give up.