Best advice I have received: make a small change in any direction that would have a positive outcome if you succeeded. Set a goal, any goal, professionally, personally, socially etc. make it specific, measurable, and write down your experience. Break it into steps and if a step is too hard break that step into smaller ones.

There can be many mental health disorders that are functional illnesses. Many with chronic illness can actually live a regular life and no one would know what they have going on. It doesn’t mean it is not serious or debilitating. Mild depression is a thing, so is mild bipolar, mild schizophrenia or high functioning.

That being said the phenomenon you are describing is common nowadays without it being a mental illness. I haven’t met someone who hasn’t at least once in their life questioned their choices or felt lost about what to do next or how to do it.

There are many jobs you can do with a bachelor’s in any major. Most are office based. Some can be more hands on.

That being said not all comparisons are a thief of joy. There is a concept in DBT called the ACCEPTS acronym. One of the Cs is Comparison. But a positive one. For you. Compare yourself to someone in a lesser or more distressing situation. Or to a time when you, yourself were in a worse rut, if possible. This is also a form of cognitive reframing.

38 is still young. Plus 30s and 40s are where a midlife crisis can occur. Don’t go to clubs for friends unless you already know someone there. Try more neutral settings like a small class, group, volunteering, or a place where you would be alongside people with a common goal or interest. A lot more potential to find not so good connections in a bar or a club.

I agree it is hard to connect especially being an introvert myself. But you don’t need friends you just need one friend. There isn’t one set way to do it. Smaller settings with less people work and more opportunities to connect. Less social competition. Sometimes it is just a conversation with a neighbor that sparks something you might have in common. Then you or them invites the other to do something or show another something etc. It happens organically, gradually and unexpectedly.