Employment Situation - Can Anyone Relate?

[The Purist]

I am, and have been, clinically depressed.  I have been out of work for almost two years.  I left my chosen career because I could not stand the stress and it caused me to have two complete breakdowns.  For the last two years I have been trying to figure out something to do but came to the conclusion that I cannot make anywhere near the money I used to make doing anything else.  This is a big deal because I live in New York City.  I have been interviewing for jobs in my chosen profession since February and had a number of offers but have turned all of them down for one reason or another.  The main reason is I don't want to work in the field anymore.  I just don't know what to do.  I am trying to get in that mindset: "It's only 8-9 hours," etc. but i just can't get there.  Can anyone relate?  Thanks in advance.

[RockoBoy]

Absolutely can relate; I know I can't handle the stress of my former industry.  What scares me though is I now can barely handle stress of part-time work.  I haven't quite figured out what I want to do.  I wish you the best.  Hope you find something fulfilling; feel better!

[DurandalBlue]

Hi The Purist :)

I can relate to what you're saying. Last week at my job I had a panic attack and had to quit. Now I am job searching and I have to make sure I find a job that is lower stress that I can tolerate. So the lesson is don't put work over your well being. 

I would say follow your gut and intuition. Is there work that calls out to you or you feel drawn to? If so trust your instincts and go for it regardless of what the logical mind says. If you don't like your field you're gonna be unhappy so why do it. 

I've also realized that making money is one part of the equation but there is another part that I think people overlook and that is spending money wisely. The other day I cleaned out my fridge and threw out a bunch of half used condiment bottles and other food products. Learning to be efficient in how you spend money is an art and a skill. But these are things we are not really taught very well. It is something I want to dedicate more time to learning about.

Check up 'life hacks' and learn ways to spend and save money much more effectively because I think it's just as important as actually making money.

Hope this helps :)