+ Confidence: What has really struck me lately is the battering my personal confidence has taken. It's something I haven't noticed before but, for me at least, a lot of my self-confidence, my self-worth, is tied to my work and before that, my academic record.

It's perfectly normal. While on the relationship front I have an abysmal confidence level and atrocious taste in men, I have adapted to these conditions. What I haven't adapted to is what happens to my actual self-confidence when you take away all that makes me a competent person - my work. I'm great at what I do, I'm confident and adaptable and yes dammit, smart. I delight in my talent. But what happens when I lose such a badge of honour? Common sense dictates that nothing has changed; I am who I am, with or without a job. But the endless rounds of implicit rejections are getting to me, even though I've been assured by all and sundry it's purely the workings of an evil recession, but still. I'm starting to question my worth not just as a professional but as a person.

Which is silly, and wrong and I'm working hard to correct it. But there you go!

+ Tummy tricks?: Completely different topic, but can anyone suggest a good exercise/diet routine for getting rid of tummies? I've got heaps of time on my hands so I figure it's now or never - I've gained heaps of weight (about 6%) since I started working hard core hours at work and suspect most of it has gone to my tummy. ;-(

While most of my clothes still fit, they're getting a bit tight. So, any suggestions as to where to start?