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

145 Answers
Last Updated: 04/20/2022 at 9:19pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Jessica McDaniel, LPC, LCPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I have been practicing cognitive behavioral psychotherapy since 2007 with a diverse group of adult clients with various diagnoses, all races, and socioeconomic classes.

Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
September 23rd, 2017 1:23am
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.
genuineHero
December 21st, 2014 1:58pm
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.
Honey
November 25th, 2014 3:58pm
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.
Sarahsky25
September 15th, 2016 6:49pm
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.
Anonymous
December 17th, 2016 1:42am
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!
Anonymous
December 1st, 2015 10:22pm
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. :)
Rileymargarettt
October 6th, 2016 3:26am
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.
Erynn
December 14th, 2014 9:42pm
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.
Anonymous
January 4th, 2015 10:39am
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,
wonderous
December 9th, 2017 12:23am
Ask yourself honestly and with love, do you need, do you love that class and why are you at that class. Answer honestly and with understanding and empathy for yourself. If you are at Uni, maybe you are at wrong Uni... that is sometimes hard to accept...if you are in highschool, try to find a motivation to finish it by contemplating about more secure and relaxed life once you finish it. Try to coun't all benefits of going to class. Subconscious mind records everything that your conscious mind thinks and believes and tracks it down to implement more of alike thoughts and beliefs. Maybe you fed yourself with thoughts that this class is not important to you or is not too interesting or you dislike teacher... and so subconscious mind gives you a state of mind and body that refuses to force yourself to go... or, as I first said - maybe you are at wrong place and you crave a meaningful change that would bring you more joy.
Anonymous
August 22nd, 2016 10:10pm
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.
LilSun
November 3rd, 2016 9:07am
In my personal experience, classes can sometimes be overwhelming. Whether it's due to the amount of people there or any other reason. So it could be social anxiety that's stopping you from attending classes. Anxiety is something that can always be worked on, whether it's with a therapist or with the help of friends and loved ones who understand the situation you're in and are able to be there for you and let you know that it's completely okay to be anxious about things.
Anonymous
October 1st, 2016 11:32am
We can't force ourselves to be involved in things we are not passionate about doing, maybe something is on your mind that you need to get off in order to go to your classes.
PriscilaOrellana
November 25th, 2014 3:00am
It can be "boring" but it's the reason of our success, no matter what you do, you like, you study... you need to be someone, you need to study for the life... for you.
Anonymous
November 25th, 2014 3:24am
Sometimes going to class can be extremely difficult, and the reasons can really vary. Maybe it's not about forcing yourself to go, but finding a reason to! :)
ElanortheFair
October 13th, 2017 7:14pm
Although class and school is important your health is more so, especially if it is college or university. Life is short and it's important to care for yourself, if going to class is going to hurt you emotionally or physically due to abuse or bullying do not put yourself through unnecessary pain. You should never feel forced into education, learning should be fun and an experience you want to do, if you feel forced you won't learn or progress at all anyway.
Anonymous
August 31st, 2017 3:12pm
It sounds like poor motivation. Maybe try to set yourself up with a small reward system - if you go, you get something out of it. It can be something as simple as a small sugary treat or a nap later on or an hour of getting to chill without worrying about studying.
Anonymous
April 22nd, 2018 4:07am
Remember that you are not your own servant. You can try and crack the whip and maybe it'll work every now and then, but you really have to believe that going to class will be of benefit to you. So, the reason you can't force yourself is that you're not respecting your wishes enough. Before you can go to class, you have to acknowledge that you're someone who will benefit from class and that you'd like good things to come from it. A good starting step is to negotiate with yourself. Treat yourself like you are an employee. Bargain with yourself. Because once you effectively bargain with yourself, you also can give yourself a meaningful reward for doing that task.
Anonymous
March 31st, 2017 12:47am
Perhaps you are lacking interest and motivation. Try giving yourself a little reward for everytime you go to class. Something like a TV break when you get home. Maybe that will convince you to go!
RalphBG
December 7th, 2014 9:52am
If you don't want to go to class, and you continuously come up with negative things about class, then that's why you can't force yourself to go to class. A solution to this could be telling yourself that class is okay. Saying positive things about class, that is easier said than done, but I've tried it myself and I find it works for me. :) you tell yourself something so much, it can become reality. Good luck. :)
NoNameTwo
January 28th, 2017 8:32pm
Sometimes we just dont have the motivation to do anything, thats ok, we all have days like that when we just want to hibernate. Try to set some goals for yourself though, but dont overwhelms yourself.
Anonymous
December 28th, 2016 8:42am
It depends on why you are having difficulty with the task. Spend a little time trying to find the actual reason for missing classes. Do you feel anxious about certain courses? Are you simply overcommitted? Is there a physical or emotional reason that should be addressed? All of these in addition to many other issues may contribute to missing class. The bottom line is only you know the cause or can ask for assistance. The great news is any of these obstacles can be overcome. We all need help to find a solution on occasion. Reach out if you need to do so. It is much better to ask than facing potentially difficult consequences after it is to late to fix the current issue.
cardology
February 4th, 2018 6:04pm
Going to class means having to focus, having to listen, to pay attention, and often times to socialise too. The classroom can be a setting for stress, anxiety and pressure. While the classroom is associated with these negative emotions, it might be much harder to convince ourselves to attend while we're going through a difficult time.
Anonymous
November 2nd, 2016 4:49am
Perhaps you are not mentally or emotionally prepared for the stressful environment of a classroom, talk to your teacher about alternative forms of classroom participation
soothingStrawberry61
October 19th, 2017 2:38pm
If you are in middle school or high school you need to figure out why you are resisting class. Are you avoiding certain people? is there something else you want to make more time for? are you having anxiety or depression? If you can pin point exactly what it is then you can see a counselor or a trusted adult about ways to overcome it or work through it. Not finishing to a high school diploma will haunt you the rest of your life. I've never met one person to say otherwise. If you are in College then its time to think about what you want in your life. Why did you enroll? Has your passion changed? Is it time to switch majors? As a society we like to glamorize jobs, but then are hesitant to put the work in to get there. This is such a broad question so its hard to be more specific without knowing more details. But you are the expert on yourself. I also want to add that a classroom is not the only place to learn. If you feel that class is not enriching your experience then take free classes online alongside your current classes. I took electrical circuits and the class was dry boring and horrible. But I still attended and took a free electrical circuits class online and LOVED it! I still learned the skill and still passed both classes. I gained the knowledge and the credit. #keepgoing
PrettyCupcake00
March 9th, 2018 6:08am
Hey love! You shouldn't force yourself to a class, it will only make you hate it more. Try creating your interest in that topic and then you'll willingly attend that class.
Anonymous
January 30th, 2020 2:31pm
The truth is: I don‘t know. However I am sure you do know. We usually do not struggle with doing things that are fun, fulfilling, or that we enjoy. So let me ask you back: what is it that you find difficult in your class and what do you need to be able to cope with it? Gaining clarity in how you feel and what you need might help you to change things. I am sure you've heard this before - you are an expert to yourself and you know the best what you need to change the situation.
YourVeganSister
February 23rd, 2018 9:11am
You can never force yourself, more so find the inspiration and the motivation to do so. I know it might seem dreadful at the beginning, but one day it will be so damn worth it
Anonymous
February 16th, 2018 7:42pm
Find something about the class that you enjoy, what is your reason for going to the class. Is there a topic you choose to enjoy people that you enjoy in the class.
BrandonCares1074
May 6th, 2018 6:29pm
Sometimes you may fear of grades, mean peers, or boredom. But it is important to remember that education is important and will help you later in life.