Thinking of nice things can help. It doesn’t need to be anything major. Every night, think of something that went well during the day and that you’re proud of. Find out more about this in the section on positive thinking. When you think of positive things, whatever is stressing you out becomes less important. What really matters in life? Is it worth worrying this much?
Xander, father of Sven (5 years old):
I’ve been unemployed for a while, and as a result my wife had to work longer hours. This made me feel worthless. What kind of father and husband was I? I couldn’t even support my family. I was also very stressed at the idea that maybe I wouldn’t even be able to find another job. Writing job applications also stressed me out a lot. A friend of mine is a social worker. We talked a lot during that period. After all I had the time ;-). He encouraged me to think positive. I’m proud of myself for keeping the household running smoothly. I’m also attending a course to help me find work. I have a more positive outlook now, and I’m not as stressed as I used to be, even though I’m still unemployed.
