Ask HN: Feel like I'm atrophying from consulting work, how to keep improving?

I've been unemployed for the better part of five months now. Even with (4yrs SWE 1yrs TPM) 5yrs of exp I've been having a really hard time solidifying offers.

I've had three TPM interviews where I've made it to the final round but I've been passed up each time for someone with more product experience.

I've been consulting about 15-20hrs a week for a friend's startup which fortunately has traction and that's been keeping the lights on as I've avoided dipping into savings but I feel like my abilities / stamina are severely atrophying from stress / being embarrassed about not being able to secure a job similar to my prior position (around $140k in my late 20s which is beyond embarrassing).

I'm considering just going back to SWE full-time curious if anyone has dealt with this kind of a situation emotionally or physically. Tracking my time has helped, but I'm afraid I'm just becoming less motivated / able to do work.

Thanks all.