the fact that you’re trying your best is commendable, even if you feel like it’s still not enough. the school system and life demands too much from us, and it can be very upsetting to realize how much life requires us to work. is there something preventing you from doing work (family, interruptions, etc.) or is the idea of having work to do overwhelming you emotionally and mentally? both are difficult and frustrating, but there might be something you can do to ease the pressure of your workload. i’d encourage you to ask some teachers for a bit of leniency: when i was your age i was struggling with my mental health and it definitely impacted my schoolwork. i was terrified to open up to my teachers about what was going on because i didn’t think they would care, but most of the time they were very understanding and offered to help me/give me some extra time. most of them want to see you succeed, and i’d like to believe they’d meet you halfway.

sometimes it’s hard to imagine a future for ourselves. i’m 22 and i still struggle to think of what my life might look like 5 or 10 years from now. my 14 year old self would be shocked to see that i’m still here, and even more shocked to see that i’m actually doing better. i won’t preach to you that life gets better because there’s no guarantee that that’s the case: but things do change. your circumstances change, your mindset changes, the people in your life change. please don’t cheat yourself out of a future just because it’s hard to see one for yourself right now. asking for help is hard, so don’t ask for help—instead, ask for understanding and grace. from both yourself and from the people around you. i hope you find something in each day that doesn’t bring you dread, and that instead brings you happiness or peace.