How can I deal with school and my anxiety?

[Poiloi]

I am in eighth grade, (I am a girl) and I can't deal with the stress of homework and intimidating teachers. I don't get enough sleep and find it really hard to get up in the morning, and I am often tardy for first hour, sometimes as late as second. I have average grades, but they have been decreasing because I've been slacking on homework. Everyday I have tons of it and since I have pretty bad anxiety I am short tempered when it comes to things like that, it's mostly just with homework though. My parents yell at me for waking up late or not doing hw and it really takes a toll on my emotions because I'm kind of soft hearted and whenever I get in trouble I feel like crying. I only have a few friends and one best friend, who is the only person who comes to my house. I'm kind of overweight and I hate sports (mostly because I hate working with people I'm not close friends with) and I'm kind of a homebody. I tell my parents that I hate school and they just get angry, I've looking into online schooling and doesn't seem like its right for me. Earlier in the year I would skip almost once a week but I realized if i kept that up there would be legal matters involved so I've been spreading it out, but it's hard. Next semester is coming up and i a excited because that means not late assignments and a fresh start, plus I'll be out of some classes that I hate... But first I have to get through midterms. They're next week and I haven't started studying. I need to get myself straightened out. Especially with getting up in the morning and homework. HELP!!!!! (Sorry if this sounded like a bunch of rambling!)

[Jazz]

Maybe plan out your week more? I understand how you feel.

What works for me with homework:
-Get as much as you can done in the lesson.
-If you don't understand something and you're too worried to ask the teacher, ask one of your friends who did understand. It's a lot more fun and you can help each other.
-Get some done in lunch/breaktime. Go to your school library or just find an empty, quiet classroom where you can concentrate. Don't worry about being called a nerd or whatever.
-Make a timetable for what homeworks you'll do on which day. On the days you have clubs/societies/meetings/whatever, give yourself less to do and catch up on homework at the weekend.
-If you think about it, you actually have a lot of time at the weekend. If you spend too much time on tumblr or facebook or whatever, it just comes down to good discipline. Maybe reward yourself if you spend so many hours on your homework?

And to make sure you get enough sleep...
-Turn off your phone/laptop at least an hour or two before you plan to get into bed. Notice I said *get into bed*, not go to sleep.
-You said you're in 8th grade, so I'm guessing a good time for you to sleep would be 10.30pm till 7am (change it if you need). When I was that age, that was about what I did. (I think I did midnight through 8am, but I could get up later)
-Try getting the app 8tracks. It will play you any kind of music you want, and you can set a sleep timer, so that it will turn off the music at a certain time. It takes a few nights to work out which playlists work for you, and what genre, but it's definitely worth it!
-As a warm-down activity in the evening, don't go on tumblr or do homework. As a rule, take 20-30 minutes each night to get a hot chocolate/cup of tea/something nice and a book or a magazine you like to read, and read it in bed. It's really lovely and will help you to get ready to sleep.


I hope these help. Make sure you don't skip school! Take it from me, it's SUCH a good idea to pay attention and work hard when you're younger. Damn. Good luck!

[Jason L]

First thing I want to suggest is get OFF caffeine (if you drink it) I found this was one of the main things that caused me to do poorly in school. It lowers your energy (in the long run), it prevents you from getting good restful sleep and it actually is one of the main causes for general anxiety. Get off of it completely and give yourself like 3 weeks before you notice any difference. I know this may sound weird but diet can play a HUUUUGE role in how you feel overall. Having a good diet can actually give you a much more clear mind and much more energy.. it can also just give you a good sense of well being. I know because when I drastically changed my diet (cut out gluten and dairy mainly) my whole world changed within a month. My whole life, I was exactly how you describe yourself.. low energy, no motivation, hated school.. always had tons of homework because I always put it off till last minute.. etc etc.. when I changed my diet and got rid of caffeine, WOW!!, everything changed.. It was a night and day difference.. most people don't even think about diet as the key and that's the big problem.. You cannot force yourself to have energy or get motivated but you can support your body's natural way of producing these things and it's called "what you eat and put in your body"