I’ve lost all motivation in my final year of school

[jellyfish45]

Hi, I’m a bit new here so please bear with me in this. I am in my final year of high school and i’ve been suffering with a loss of motivation. i’ve been heavily debating by what to do with it and i decided to try reach out for some help/advice on what to do.

i have tried to reach out a few times for help from the school councillor but i’ve really struggled, few reasons being that i have trouble expressing myself in how i feel, i tend to be someone who tries to rationalise my emotions and my i tend to struggle with recollecting my emotions and experiences. it’s also quite hard for me to open up with my emotions at home with my fears of it being used against me or causing a fight.

what’s one of the worst things for me is the fact that i go to an academic school and a whole lot of people have high expectations of me but i think i’m struggling so much that i’ll disappoint everyone and humiliate myself. i’m no longer good at what i once thought i was good and am have come to realise that i’ve never really been talented but just either extremely lucky in some circumstances, or in other times just motivated by fear or other external factors. i feel so burnt out but guilty for feeling this way, but at the end of the day i still end up doing nothing but doing useless things to avoid my duties. then at the end of the day i either go to sleep crying or intentionally going on my phone to forget this anxiousness then this cycle of guilt and being lazy just persists.

ill be honest i don’t really know what i wanted from saying this, but i guess i just wanted to let out how i feel in a way that would be easier for me than physically consulting someone without feeling as embarrassed or like a fool/attention seeker as i would if i expressed this out loud to someone. would there be a way for me to cope with these feelings? what should i do? i feel like i’m struggling to validate how i’m truly feeling because i feel like im not actually struggling with motivation but intentionally being lazy just to feel like some sort of a victim.

i apologise if this is really hard to understand and just feels like a rant. it’s my first time on this site so i’m not too sure if i’ve done this right or whether this is something i’m allowed to post and please feel free to give me any opinions (even if it’s blunt) or judgement for anything i’ve said.

thanks.

[tranzcrybe]

One benefit of this forum is precisely what you observe - we are the quintessential 'strangers on a bus', where your story has no dependencies or repercussions.

Life requires balance, and the rigours of academia can simply be offset by seeking the inner 'lazy' at times - allowing yourself that indulgence without the guilt makes it 'quality' time.

Not so sure about the efficacy of 'burning' time through distraction, though - perhaps some inner reflection and solitude might prove more therapeutic?

[Diligence]

Hey
Hey! Im also new. Made this account to reply to your post since I feel I could help.
Im in a similar pickle as you. Also a Year 12 who wants to do well this year, but is not as motivated as i wish. but I acknowledge I dont understand you completely. Yet, I know your feelings and situation is validated.

You can try out what I do if you and your counsellor are fine with it. I also have trouble expressing and recalling what I want to say in person, so I like to have conversations with my school counsellor by email. That way, you can tell exactly what you want to say, you can edit it over days where you can add or delete stuff. Make sure the words your conveying is accurate. It also means neither has to respond immediately and think about what to say. Well done for giving it a try coming in person though.

Seeking support and wanting to be heard is completely different to being an attention seeker. I mean, it is asking for attention, but doing it for this reason and stuff, is not bad. Try not to be afraid. I have this mentality that id like to share, but you dont have to agree with it or anything. I like to think that if people decide to judge before they understand me, or judge me harshly, I think that that's their opinion, their fault, their choice. Respect their right to hold their opinion and move on. People's judgements is not a reason to limit what you want to do. We live in a judgemental society after all. Though I admit this mentality may make people like you less.

Id like to remind that crying is healthy, its better than suppressing it where it destroys you inside. so dont feel bad about crying.

Hope I can help. Good luck. Remember that a bad day doesnt mean a bad life 🙂

[justgettingthere]

hey there jellyfish45,

i just wanted to put it out there that i really feel for eveything you're going through. It hits me really close to my heart, having just left school and struggled in a very similar way to how you are now.

i just wanted to make a couple of comments. my motivations level really went down the drain during yr 12. during my early school years i had always done really well but coming into the final year my marks started dropping significantly. i spent alot of time procrastinating despite my teachers thinking I always worked really hard. i did find myself wallowing in guilty and feelings of lazyness but i just want to validate your feelings that this is most definitely not the case. My lack of motivation stemmed from severe social exclusion through all my highschool years, causing trauma, anxiety and depression.

I can also relate regarding not being able to convey everything when talking with someone in person. I had a very strong and caring teacher who was like a second mum to me. i reguarly emailed her explaining how I was feeling as i felt that this helped me express myself in the way i needed. she was very welcoming anf encouraging of this, so long as i was reaching out in some way.

My only real advice would be to keep reaching out to your support network in any way you can. You are not alone in your lack of motivation, it is a very real feeling. There are people out there that will do whatever they can to keep you going but you just need to find them and keep close to ensure you are supported during this very tough final year.

Whatever you do, don't beat yourself up for feeling how you have been. i hope that you can find some support in whatever way it may be and ensure that you don't keep everything to yourself or push through it by yourself, from experience it makes school even harder to bear.

All the very best.

[anotherteen]

hey. i hope everything's gotten better now, i realise you posted in january. i wanted to say that i highly, scarily relate to everything you said. from being in the last year of hs, to going to an academically gifted school - everyone has high expectations of me, as a 'top' student or just someone who often gets good marks, but yeah there's a mental cost to that. i'm feeling rly burnt out rn too. everything is just so, so much. there's so much to do all the time. i don't rlly allow myself to cry or be sad ab stuff because i perceive it as 'time-wasting', so i'm just feeling everything rn, which idk amplifies everything. you're the first person i have seen who have mentioned avoiding their parents to talk about it in fear of causing a fight or having it used against you - legit just happened tonight and is one of the reasons why i suppress telling my parents the bad stuff that goes on, even if im pre close with them too. idk why but reading your post was like wow, i'm not the only one who has felt like this, but i really, really hope you don't feel like that anymore. hope you're thriving right now. you got this.