Before I go to sleep, I run through what I did the whole day and be thankful for everything. That I'm alive, that I had a hot shower, that I have a heater, I have to eat.
This also help me remember what I did the whole day and evaluate everything in a positive manner. The whole thing take me like 5min and it changed my life since I started doing it. It doesn't matter whether you believe in god or not, being thankful will make a difference in your life. Try it :)
Why not go for a part-time Phd and continue working. Might be a hassle for 5 years but you get the financial security for your family and follow your dream.
I never paid and never will. But there doesn't seem to be any agreement how you should legally build backlinks. How people are doing it? some people reach out to other sites and ask specifically for a backlink.
Had the same issue, just moved to another country changed job. Started going to the gym, started going to meetups. Take a long vacation and think about what you want to do before you jump ship.
German speaker here, although not native. I found German dubbing for some movies especially war or action movies better then the original some time. German has this tensity that English don't have. I watched The Matrix in German and liked it better than the Original.