Healthy Coping Mechanisms

[Riedquat]

Oh, why didn't I think of that? Just get a better paying job! Instead of being poor, I should try to Not Be Poor!

He did say simple, not easy although anything can sound simple if expressed in simple enough terms. It's simple to win the 100m final at the Olympics - run faster than everyone else. But that's not a helpful statement.

[Darth Wedgius]

Escaping poverty is simple - not easy by any stretch, and especially hard if you are depressed - but simple: earn more money and spend less. You can either stick with a low paying job and cut all your expenses to the bone (which will not help, or be helped by, depression), or you can find a higher wage by looking outside of your comfort zone. Give manual labor a shot - skilled labor shockingly pays better than unskilled labor, so use your (current) low wage demands as an advantage and find an apprenticeship somewhere. Plumbing, welding, machining, heating/furnace repair - these are physically demanding jobs that pay relatively well once you've payed your dues.

Oh, why didn't I think of that? Just get a better paying job! Instead of being poor, I should try to Not Be Poor!

This indicates a lack of comprehension I find surprising for you, Fuzzy. He said it wasn't going to be easy, and then he gave several practical (AFAIK) suggestions. I think you're smarter than this.

[Rocketboy1313]

I have found that I do not have a lot of emotional intelligence for dealing with stress.
I don't experience it consciously like most people. I do my work, I hit my marks, I keep showering and eating my usual diet.
But my body chemistry changes conspicuously.
I get cold sores, back pain, numerous hair follicles on my forearms turn into pimples, I gain weight, my sleep schedule turns into a roller coaster.

I have no strategy to combat it, I just wait until whatever is causing it passes.
For instance, right now I am applying for PhD programs in Political Science. I wasn't stressed about the GRE, I wasn't all that stressed about asking for letters of recommendation, I located 9 places to apply to, and spent the... $1,010 (Jesus Christ this shit is expensive) without issue.

But now that all of those torpedoes are fired from the tubes, the anticipation is apparently killing me.
All my symptoms are in full swing.
So I keep doing my job, going to the gym, etc, and wait to hear back.