Struggling to find motivation

Since taking the best part of a year off from work due to illness and recovery I've found it very hard to find me again. I've concentrated on my health physical health but believe I've neglected my mental health to the point where I'm now seeking therapy but it hasn't helped me to find that motivation to get up and be productive. The last fifteen years of my life has been spent working in physically challenging roles which is now not an option and I'm struggling to find anything I can do without the necessary qualifications and with no money to aquire them. I'm lucky enough to have a home currently rent free so I have nothing to worry about in the short term but I'm scared of what my future will look like if I can't find something soon.

I feel I've begun a bit of a spiral into depression because of this and I've reached the point where just getting out of bed seems pointless. The only time I feel any amount of happiness and motivation is the 2 days a week I spend with my boyfriend but once I'm alone again I loose all drive and go back to bed after spending a few hours searching for work and crying when I find nothing again.

I'm not sure what I expect from writing this but maybe there is someone who can relate? I try to keep myself active when I get those little bursts of energy, I do yoga, I go jogging when my health allows it, I eat healthily and I'm not sure what else physically I can do to get myself back to normal.

Enjoy the time off, I think. Why not go to a local college campus and sit in on some free informational sessions on programs you're interested in? There are lots of part time programs now for a lot cheaper than you may imagine. Is a small student loan not something you're open to? It sounds like you're engaging in a lot of great activities but none that actually connect you: heart, body, mind, soul. Those hobbies should recharge and reinvigorate you but they're sounding a bit mundane and stale. Maybe it's time to branch out.

Make morning appointments, at least 3 per week, with temp agencies. Give yourself some kind of rewarding lunch or coffee or a walk in the park after each appointment. The goal is to get placed in local companies to learn which business cultures are a good fit for you, and the role you perform doesn't matter. Once inside, you can form relationships and apply for jobs from within that are never published to the public.

Lots of companies use this method of hire for a mutual 'try before you buy' arrangement. You can't get into these gigs by sending a resume, the agencies place from an active roster, and you need to apply in person and test on basic computer apps in order to get on that roster. If you do lousy on the tests, most agencies will welcome you to come back to use their tutorials and then retest to improve your scores when you are ready.

Emotions follow behaviors, not the other way around--so waiting until you 'feel like it' is a no-win downward spiral. Behave your way into health by taking one small baby step at a time. Making phone calls for the appointments is one step. Each interview is another. Rewarding yourself afterward becomes an enjoyable carrot to keep yourself moving, starting with a radius closest to where you live and working outward.

Most agencies will tell you that they have nothing at the moment. That's fine, because no good agency will have unfilled jobs waiting around for you. Get on the active rosters, and when an opportunity comes in, you'll be positioned to accept it.

Don't create giant mental bridges that you close off by inventing barriers. That's exhausting--have you noticed? Just take one step at a time, and trust that you'll be able to handle each stage of an outcome as it presents itself.

Head high.

What was your previous job? What skills did it leave you with?