Don’t you feel anxious when you’re not working?

Don’t you feel anxious when you’re not working? If you come from a financially secure family, with parents to rely on, relatives to support you, and complete financial freedom, then perhaps you would not feel anxious. But for ordinary people, anxiety is almost inevitable.

I went through a period like this in 2021. That year, I was preparing for China’s National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination. I had quit my job at the end of 2020 to study full-time at home, so it felt like I had no way back.

Under those circumstances, nearly all my attention was focused on studying. I cut my everyday shopping by 90%. Our biggest expenses were childcare, which cost more than RMB 3,000 a month, and our mortgage payments, which were over RMB 8,000 at the time. The financial pressure was immense.

This situation continued until the objective section of the legal qualification exam. By then, the pressure had become almost unbearable. On the one hand, there was the financial strain; on the other, there was the psychological pressure of the exam. Together, they made me feel as though I could hardly breathe.

In September, we successfully sold one of our properties. This significantly eased our financial burden and, in turn, relieved much of the emotional pressure. The atmosphere at home also improved. Of course, it also helped that I successfully passed the minimum qualifying score for the objective section.

After enduring such a difficult year, I never wanted to put myself in a position where I had to worry constantly about money again. That is why, whether it involves spending or changing jobs, I believe you need to prepare carefully before making any major decision. Otherwise, you should avoid making drastic changes too easily.

There is another kind of anxiety beyond not working and not earning money. For some people, being unemployed may also mean losing their sense of value. It creates a double sense of being suspended in midair: losing a stable income while also becoming disconnected from the social framework through which they measure their worth.

For people with this kind of personality, not working may be even more frightening and may cause greater anxiety.

So, if you are still young, your family members are healthy, and there is nothing that requires you to quit your job specifically to take care of it, then it is best to maintain some form of work of your own. Whether it is freelance work or a regular nine-to-five job, I believe working is a healthy and normal way for people to participate in society.