It's stressful to be unemployed. However, when you feel less stress when you're unemployed than you felt when you were employed, then that's saying something.
A case in point:
My birthday fell on a Saturday. I took a class in the morning, took a hike in the afternoon, then went to a really nice dinner in the evening. In between I enjoyed a visit from my brother.
If I had my old job, I would have done all the above, but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy my time because I would be worrying about the work that needed doing.
Another case in point:
After a great family get together for Thanksgiving, and several days off with my husband, Sunday night came rolling around. I realized as I was getting into bed that at that time last year, I was getting nervous about dragging my butt back to work. Instead, I was able to reflect on the time we had and enjoy.
I guess I need to remind myself that while having an income is nice, staying home is nice too. And I should consider that there is joy in staying put and being available to family when they need me.
