Where do I go from here ?

LegacyUser

I started work at the age of 17. I am now 49. I spent 31 years working in the one job. I loved that job so much. About a year and a half ago, the company announced that they were outsourcing the role to another company, and I could apply for voluntary redundancy or move across. I sought advice from a guidance counsellor who said that the better move was to take the money and run....so I did that. I am now out of work a full year. I cannot move on in my head. I loved my job so much. I don't feel I have the confidence to start a new job and reinvent myself elsewhere. I am now running out of money. My wife doesn't earn much. She works part time. She doesn't want to get a full time job for personal reasons. We don't have children. For the past few months, I've been watching too much telly, the weight is ballooning and I feel I am going further and further in my head from reality, and having a working day. My only saving grace is that I walk a lot. I have also started to have niggly health problems. I think it's all connected to not having a job anymore.
I wouldn't say I have depression. It's more of a rut, which would quickly go away if I got another job. Any suggestions as to how I should deal with this mentally ? I am panicking now because I only have the money left to cover around 4 months, and no more !

Rock77

Read your post back, what advice would you give?

Start applying for jobs, there is every chance you will find a job you enjoy just as much as your last job.
If not, then like the rest of us you will just have to go to work everyday to a job you hate just to pay the bills!

Come on, time to suck it up, get back out there, you will feel so much better.

stove

A lot of people have found themselves in your situation in more recent years OP.

A big shock to the system being unemployed after working for so many years. Confidence is affected, motivation drops, self pity can kick in and it can become a downward spiral to a place where everything seems negative and difficult.

Seems like you have been dwelling on the negatives for a while so now focus on the positives.

Still young enough to have another career
You have enough savings for 4 more months....that is more than most have
You worked for 31 years so you are entitled to gov benefits etc....you have earned it
While your partner does not want to work full time I presume she is supportive of you

Maybe the next step is to get a daily routine that you stick to- get out of bed early, exercise, job search on line, cold call employers etc

Make doing all the tasks associated with getting a job your job for the next few weeks (while getting plenty of exercise etc) and you will be back on your feet again soon.

Good luck with it.

silverharp

also OP, consider agency work if its something you can do in your field. its a great way into a company where something more permanent might turn up