Keeping Your Sanity During Unemployment
Keeping your sanity during unemployment is a one of the biggest tests for anyone going through long-term unemployment. It is often a trigger for mental illness.
Shortly after recovering from mental illness my position was made redundant. I was to spend the next four years, (yes that’s right), seeking employment. A Forbes study says that being unemployed for more than 2 years has a worse effect on your job prospects than having a criminal record, it is easy to feel disheartened or even depressed. Fortunately, I was never to be threatened by mental health challenges through this unemployment period.
The following are what I believe helped ensure I kept my sanity during unemployment:
#1 Embracing unemployment as a new season
I took this season as one in which to recover from the turmoil leading up to unemployment. I sought to learn new skills to make myself not only more marketable to employers but also to seek ways of being gainfully self-employed.
I never allowed myself feel or become a victim of the circumstances I found myself in. I rationalized my expenditure to the barest minimum ( I once walked for 6 miles to get to an appointment)! Well, I also wanted the exercise and the challenge was good for my moral too!
#2 Building my faith
I was actively involved in my church activities, seeing to the needs of others. I related more of what I received from studying the Bible, strengthening my spirit. I could relate to others who were going to a tough time too. I became more sensitive and had more empathy to others during this period. It is amazing how when you reach out to help others how much that helps you too!
#3 Being in the company of ‘encouragers’
I was always in the company of people who never let me give up or feel devalued as a result of being unemployed. My wife was top on this list . Thanks my lovely Zoe! As a result very few people in my circle of friends were aware that my season of unemployment had lasted for so long. Many assumed I had even started working because of how well I was handling this season.
#4 Avoiding negative news
Some people will tell you to be realistic. But your confidence can be really dented when all popular news channels are reporting on challenges with the economy. I sifted the news items I exposed myself to. My time became even more valuable to me in terms of what I paid attention to. I only focused on true reports that moved me forward in bettering my circumstances.
Being with the negative people at this time is not what you need at this time. Negative news will make you feel even more discouraged. Be radical and unapologetic about what you choose to hear. You got to realize this, any potential employer will be put off by someone who looks desperate. And negative news has the capacity to do this. Oh yes! So it is important that you minimize your contact with negative ‘reporters’!
#5 Taking each setback as an opportunity for growth
I got to a stage where I had attended more than 10 interviews. Each time the feedback was that I had given a good interview. Yet there was always a ‘however’ clause. Each time, I was not the first choice for obscure reasons. What did I do? I took each interview as an opportunity to practice my self-presentation. You got to develop that perspective.
I remained confident of my worth yet took every aspect commented on for improvement seriously. Even when it was challenging to determine why I was not taken for positions I never gave up.
Each fresh call for interview got me preparing for an even better delivery. I explored all avenues for development taking even a course in a new discipline, i..e entry level teaching, as a potential option.
That decision however became a chicken and egg situation whereby I still could not get into that field due to lack of experience. Then I could not get to the next stage in the education due to…lack of experience.
I did not let that discourage me. At that stage, it would have been easy to throw in the towel. I had by that time been unemployed for at least 2 years. The months were rapidly counting up. Remain focused. Refused to be discouraged.
And lastly…
How do you account for long periods of unemployment?
I learnt expert ways of accounting for the continuing extended period of being in the job market. I could show potential employers that I had taken up new skills. Even though the new course I mentioned above had disappointingly not got me into a teaching position, I had learnt and improved on presentation skills. I had shown I could communicate with different people and so on.
Even that voluntary work you are doing in the charity shop is a skill that you are acquiring. You may not think so, but how can you show your employer the worth of it? Get creative. For one thing remember, you are not sitting waiting for aliens to land. You are doing and learning something. Therefore it shows you are progressive. Congratulate yourself and look forward with renewed hope!
How have you weathered challenging times? Please comment and share.
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