Failure

[Catthew]

I became unemployed a few months ago due to ill health. I’ve signed onto new style ESA for support and I’m under the care of my GP for mental health issues.

I feel like a failure because I’ve lost my job. I have been applying for any work that I can, but haven’t been successful yet.

I’m feeling sorry for myself at the moment, but please tell me it will get better! Please be kind

You’re not a failure. Life isn’t linear. It’s full of ups and downs and you’ve hit a down. The exciting part is you will hit an up, you just don’t know what that looks like yet. See this as an opportunity to make a change, control what you can, apply for jobs that interest you and see where life takes you. One day at a time, this time next year will feel very different but you do need to shift your mindset. Good luck op!

It’s not your fault that you can’t work due to ill health or that this means your previous employment ended. It can take a while to find the right job and see things start to improve, but they will do. Good luck and I hope your health is continually improving.

Just to add, something someone once said to me that stuck was “you only feel like this now, it’s not forever”

realising that really shifted my views. I know it’s obvious in a way but changing things to “I feel so depressed NOW” is changing it to show you know it’s just now, a passing moment of your life, and not how you will always feel.

You’re absolutely not a failure. It’s just work. All the time you’ve got a roof over your head and food in the cupboard, it’s not important. When you’re lying on your deathbed at a hopefully ripe old age and you’re looking back on your life, how much will work feature, if at all? You won’t be measuring your successes in terms of how many years service you accrued.

Hopefully, this won’t be forever. You’ll get back on your feet and back to where you were. Or this will be an opportunity to take your life in a new direction. Either way, it doesn’t say anything about who you are as a person.

Life has a way of kicking us all when we are down.
Keep getting up, keep showing up, things will change, better days are coming 💕

Thank you ❤️