5 Tips to Avoiding Depression When Unemployed

Being unemployed involuntarily is rarely a time of excitement and joy, and it can be easy for depression and frustration to creep in and make things even worse. Depression can take the wind out of your sails and can hinder the motivation for the whole job search process. So, let’s take a look at a few things you can do to fight against the depression during this time.

1. Proactive - If you are expecting the end to come shortly, do not wait, but get started on working now, especially if you know there will be multiple people in your same situation. Get the word out before you and others are actually out on the street. Begin networking, asking around about potentially upcoming openings, looking at job postings, etc.

2. Spread your wings - While you may have been doing a specific job for a while now, take a hard look at yourself and your resume and see if you have less used skills that could be highlighted to find a position in a related field. Often times we work in a job for years, and we use the skills required to do that job only, and just need to see what other skills you have not be actively using during that time. Clean up your resume, brush up on those less frequently used skills, and see if you have additional avenues you can pursue for a new position.

3. Expanding the horizon - Is there a related area of study that you would like to pursue but never completed the required studies or certifications to qualify? This might be a good time to recreate yourself into a more desired position. Go back to school, take online courses, get additional certifications and bounce back into a new position.

4. Get off the couch - Sitting at home wasting time may save you money, but it leads to complacency, boredom, over eating and weight gain. Get off the couch, go be active, get involved. You may have always said you didn't have time to really exercise, use this time to start an exercise regiment. Getting more fit increases energy and can increase your mood and make you overall more energetic and motivated.

5. Don't feed it - It is easy to fall into a pity time, and feel down, and we must not seek to feed those emotions. Sitting watching sad movies, listening to somber music, etc. can all affect us emotionally. When you feel the dark feelings coming, pop in a comedy or some upbeat energetic music. Don't feed the back emotions, but counteract them.

There are many other things you can do to lift your spirits during these tough times. If you let depression set in, it can quickly consume and destroy the motivation you need. Feed the positive, starve the negative, and keep moving onward and upward toward the goals of a new chapter in life.

Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, mail order book store manager, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Education Jobsite blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.