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

There are many reasons and you would know best. Below are some possibilities: â—‹ Could it because your brain perceives danger either physically, psychologically or socially? â—‹ Could it be because you have something else more interesting and motivating to do than going to attend the class? â—‹ Lack of motivation to do something also can come from availability of many other options. â—‹ Mental burnout â—‹ Physical exhaustion â—‹ Multiple responsibilities and or obligations other than school â—‹ Disorganize habit â—‹ Maladaptive daydreaming There can be 1001 reasons and more and you just have to dig into yourself deeper to gain self-awareness.

Sometimes it's hard to feel motivated when there isn't a friend or classmate or family member encouraging me along the way. Self-motivation is hard, but not impossible. Changing my perspective and finding enjoyment in small things to push me towards class on my own. Developing positive habits and practices to do routinely in order to rebuild self-control, self-motivation, better organizational skills, self-discipline.. all keys to a successful life and future. Self-care, considering and loving self so we can learn to be responsible and dependable when our family and friends need us. It all comes down to perspective and repetitive habits!

Self motivation is incredibly difficult. Even if you value your education and grades, sometimes it feels impossible to get yourself out of bed, dressed, and to class. It could be because of all the steps you need to take before going; getting up, showering, getting dressed, being prepared, and then physically leaving your house to get there. If you feel like you lack the motivation to do things that you actually enjoy, or used to enjoy, I'd encourage you to talk to a professional or doctor. While it is not unusual to feel this way, there are ways in which professionals can help you find that motivation to get up and get out!

There is a theory that the reason we put off doing things is because we associate more pain than pleasure with the activity - which may be the reason we are all overdue for a visit to the dentist! If we take this approach, is there something about going to class that is painful/uncomfortable/awful that you associate with going to class? Do you have imposter fears that everyone in the class knows the answers but you? Are you afraid it's going to be too hard? Is there something about the professor or someone else in the class? Look closely - can you identify what might be so painful about class that it's not worth the benefit? Once you can name it, you can begin to address it.

When I first started university, I could rarely get myself out of bed to go to class. Now, after rereading through my old journals, I can see that there was much more going on than simple laziness or lack of motivation. I was homesick, struggling to adjust to student life, and most of all, as an introvert, I felt sorrowfully left behind as all the other students made friends and I sat quietly in my room. I was lonely, sad, and anxious. Try journaling briefly everyday about what's on your mind - by rereading your entries later, you might notice a theme underlying your struggles to go to class. I can't pinpoint a specific event that made going to class easier for me - it was a gradual process. Often, it just takes time. As time passes, things change, and you change too. Sure, you might suffer some drops in grades. But luckily, the internet is full of resources you can use to teach yourself class material until you're able to go to class again.

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.

Forcing yourself will only work short-term and you deserve to feel and perform at your very best. It can be any number of things that causes this desire to not go to class. Depression, anxiety, burn out, a lack of interest in the course content or maybe a lack of direction. All of these things can be worked on. Burn out is the easiest of these issues to deal with. Check in with a teacher, let them know you need to take some time off for self care, then give your mind and body a break by doing something you love and that replencishes your energy. For anything more, getting professional help is your best bet.

It can be difficult to make yourself go to class for different reasons. Tell me more about the feelings you experience when you have gone to class in the past. What do you think your biggest obstacle is in attending class? Can you possibly think of a word to describe the feeling that you have during class? Some examples of feelings you may be having are anxiety, feeling depressed, or simply feeling overwhelmed. There are times it can be difficult to find the energy to attend class due to a lack of energy to tend to even basic things. All of these things can make it more difficult to go to class.

Forcing yourself to do anything can further make you do the opposite. The act of forcing something is usually (if not always) something negative, and our automatic reaction is to avoid such negative thing, rather than doing it. Instead of "forcing yourself to go to class", try rewording this task into something more positive. Try to make this statement into a more positive question, e.g "why am I having difficulty going to class?". With this example, try brainstorming anything you believe is not helping with you being able to attend your classes. Sometimes identifying the problem(s) is the first step into changing something.

You either hate the class, hate the people there, or just want to be alone in your feelings. Sometimes it's hard to manage your emotions in a classroom full of people. You don't want to get embarrassed and called out for people to call you weak. If it's about the people you dislike, have a meeting with your teacher and have an alliance on re-arranging seats or classes. School is still important so grown ups try to help students develop a positive mood for class time activities. There shouldn't be bullying around the school campus either to ruin it.