Sorry to hear about your job. I hope you have found something meantime! (Having a job is also a brocho!).
In reply to your question, although i dont believe this is the correct place for halacha debates but should be face to face with your Rav, I’ll tell you what my Rav told us, that there’s only a shiur for bracha achrona. For bracha rishona its as long as you havent been meisiach da’as however long has elapsed. Eg on Seder night, we make ha’adama on the karpas and have in mind that it should also go on the maror… which we will only be eating a long long time later!