Coping with Being Unemployed

Being unemployed is rarely what one might call “having a good time,” though on the other hand some people feel like it is the “end of the world.” Dealing with being unemployed can be tougher on some than on others, depending on how well you had previously prepared for a rainy day. Here are some tips that I have pulled together from various resources, sharing some ideas on getting through the tough time of being unemployed, without pulling your hair out – hopefully.

When you become unemployed, treat the days of the “work week” as a full time job itself. Wake up, and go to work finding a job. Set yourself a daily goal and achieve it. Maybe you would like to set a goal of applying for three new jobs each day, depending on your career field. When you hit the computer in the morning, do not waste all day playing games or reading for entertainment; get to work searching and networking.

Change it up often, and do not simply rely on the internet to find your new job. Get out there and “hit the pavement” as it used to be done before the internet. While it is true that pretty much all places are online now, that does not always mean that they have gotten around to posting all possible positions online, or that smaller local companies are even necessarily listed on the larger job sites you use. Dropping in physically and speaking with a hiring agent rarely ever hurts you, and can be a door to a networking relationship if you keep it up.

Spend a chunk of your day reading through job tip blogs, like you are doing here on Nexxt, and seek to apply new ideas to the job search each day. Repeating the same old tired way you have always done it may be detrimental – learn and then try something new.

As you should do for a “real” job, make sure you take periodic breaks to get a little refreshed. Take a brief walk outside, get some fresh air, anything that would be a short change of pace; then get right back to it.

Many people become somewhat depressed when they are unemployed. Times are tough, and finding a new job immediately may not happen, and so depression and frustration set in. If this is left unchecked, it can just build and get worse, and makes finding – even just getting motivated to look for – a job that much more difficult.

If you feel depression creeping in, call a friend; go do something to keep your mind off of it. Even if you do not have money to go do something that costs, simply keeping contact with friends is a big plus. If you have really good friends at your old job, do not lose contact just because you lost your position there. Give them a periodic call to keep up the friendship, plus it can be considered a form of networking to keep contact with those related to your job field.

If you let depression creep in it can drag down all motivation and stop your job search dead in its tracks. It will allow in pessimism which will also drag you down and place you in a frame of mind that is unsuitable for a proactive job search.

During this time, you will probably have a real tight budget, but be sure to budget in a small amount for yourself. Yes, most of the money will need to go to the necessities, but do not make the mistake of cutting off all “treats” during this time. Take the family out for a simple ice cream cone, or even a simple cup of coffee with a friend will do. Again, simple things like this will assist in decreasing the depression factor as well.

Now, I understand that not all tips are applicable to all people, so hopefully you can take some of these tips and use them to spawn new ideas for yourself to get you on the motivated path to securing that new job. If you do have other tips in this area, things you personally have successfully used, please share below in the comments section.