As for the work angle, I can totally relate to your situation and issues. I was made redundant around 18 months ago. I held a very high paid job which took me all over the UK and overseas. The downside was extreme stress, anxiety and no time for the family. As a result I had become distanced from my wife and kids.

Over the first 3 months I was determined to find a similar job however I could not get a job despite having applied for hundreds, signed up with various recruitment agencies, and in excess of 25 interviews. However in this time the wife managed to land a full time job with just enough income to cover the bills.

So we trimmed our outgoings, unpluged was the SKY box, all uneccessary spending put on hold, all magazine subscriptions and online game subs canclled, expensive hair styling and colouring for the wife cancelled, fitting of energy saving bulbs throughout the whole house, changing habits of putting heating on to putting on another jumper instead, shopping habits changed from one store for everything to shopping around and using local markets. But to be honest when we stripped it all away, we could not believe how much money we were previously wasting with nothing to show for it.

Having failed to get a job, and having accepted my dented ego and male pride, I sat down and thought about what I would like to do. I became primary stay at home carer for the kids, doing the school runs, homework, school events etc.
and I took work as a factory cleaner to earn a few quid and get out of the house and started volunteering a morning a week as a classroom helper at the local primary school.

Over the next 6 months I then retrained and dabbled in all sorts, from health and safety, contracting to being a chocolatier. However I landed up on a teaching course having agreed to “just try it”. The end result has been I now teach on a sessional contract maintstream classes but also work with learners who are suffering from mental illness and severe learning difficulties (something I said I could and would never do). I have also become a Scout Leader and an active part of the parish groups in the community.

The result for me has been a more enriched life, full of rewards and challenges and loads of time now for the family especially my son who I had never really formed a relationship with. I no lonegr suffer the stress and strain of the rat race or social anxiety of having to keep up with the Jone’s.

So take heart there is light at the end of might appear to be a long tunnel.

Anyway, I can nevertheless recommend Aberdeen. Lovely City and though it is very grey (it’s the granite), you are very close to good old whisky country, plenty of great outdoors, and the beach is fabulous at all times of the year.