I suck at chess

As you might be able to tell from my recent games, I been sucking at chess lately. I just don't calculate like I used to, and I have no idea why. 

All I know is that my rating has been going down - up to 100 points from my peak. It's psychologically painful, and I have no idea what to do to prop myself back up.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Everyone goes through this.  It usually happens around ratings of 900-1000, 1300-1400, 1600-1700, 1900-2000, and 2200 - 2400

From what I recollect of players' rating graphs, 100 - 200 point fluctuations in ratings is entirely normal. I wouldn't worry about it; It will probably self-correct on its own.

I,ve been stuck at the same level for about 10 years, or is it 15.

I stopped doing tactics puzzles for a while and those ratings dropped by over 100 points.  Now I'm doing them again and my rating there is slowly getting better.  Have you been doing puzzles but stopped?

no

I guess what I was trying to say is that even if nothing changes in your personal situation (no change of study habits, no change in mood, no change in knowledge, etc.), just the inherent randomness of the universe will cause your rating to fluctuate plus or minus 100 rating points (200 points peak-to-peak). I'm basing this on memory of viewing players' rating charts on sites like Playchess. So I really wouldn't worry about it unless my rating were to drop more than, say, 250 points from my all-time high rating.

2nd guessing is a problem, worrying about the best move. I decided to slow down a bit and look at all the pieces and play as careful as possible. Look before you leap and keep to chess principles. Patience too!

Don't let things get routine, try to do something else. Practice with the tactics trainer or the chess mentor, watch games of high rated players. You will be filled with new ideas and will be eager to try them out in your live games. You will be surprised at the difference.

Or watch chess movies! :D

That's like everyone

Sounds a lot like what I have happening to me right now... I seem to be rocking around 900 points currently, somedays a little more and some a little less.

Well, that's normal. What's not normal is having a month-long losing streak after a terrific winning streak!

Mmmaybe I need to start doing tactics and puzzles again.  I hasn't been on my GameKnot account in a LOOONG time.  My rrrating almost hit 1400 and now I'm strrrruggling to get it back up to 1300. 

If only Mommy would stop hogging up all the wifi fur her online classes!

You also need to take some math classes. How do you go up to 1300 from 1400???

How about your perfect math class? ^_^

You touhou'd! YAY!

Tuition fee's only $30,000 a year!

The 1400 and 1300 up were the ratings BCE: before computerized era.

Meh, just keep playing. You can never go wrong with that haha