Beating the Unemployment Blues

Yesterday, as I watched one of the many news programs dedicated to Michael Jackson and his memorial, I paused as I heard Michael’s voice in an interview…

"No matter what, the most powerful thing in the world is the human mind and prayer, and belief in yourself and confidence and perseverance. No matter how many times you do it, you do it again until it's right.

And always believe in yourself. And no matter who's around you that is being negative or thrusting negative energy at you, totally block it off. Because whatever you believe, you become."

As a person who has experienced unemployment, his comments seemed to reach out and touch me in a personal way. Coping with unemployment is certainly one of the biggest tests of confidence and belief in oneself that we experience in life. Maintaining hopefulness despite high unemployment numbers and all of the negative predictions about the job market poses the toughest challenge.

Lower psychological well-being during unemployment can be attributed to many factors: financial stress, change in social status, lack of activity, and duration of unemployment. For some, unemployment may spark a period of depression that requires medical intervention. Depression affects your moods, thoughts and energy. It can also affect your relationships and ability to find a new job. For many unemployed people, depression comes in waves, with good days where you feel hopeful and optimistic, and bad days where you may feel powerless to change your situation.

According to psychotherapist, Gina Simmons, Ph.D. (http://www.manageangerdaily.com/), “Unemployment can trigger normal feelings of anger, worry and sadness. These feelings usually pass once the stress of unemployment disappears. If the anxiety, anger or sadness stops you from job hunting, incites self destructive behavior (like excessive drinking) or begins to damage your relationships, consider professional help. If you still have health insurance ask for a referral to a psychologist or counselor from your insurer or physician. You can obtain low or no cost counseling through many local religious organizations, community clinics or college campuses.”

It’s helpful to develop coping strategies to pull yourself up when you begin to feel the blues. I will share with you a few I found that work for me, perhaps some of these will work for you as well:

• Get organized. Clean your house, from top to bottom, clutter is the enemy, get rid of it and make some money. There are clothes you no longer wear, junk you should toss, and plenty of good stuff you simply do not need, sort it out and have a sale. Sell your unwanted clutter on EBay and Craigslist or try the old standard, have a garage sale. You will feel productive and maybe earn some needed cash!
• Do something physical every day. Exercise is the best natural way to elevate mood. If a trek to the gym isn’t for you, then walk. Even if it is around your neighborhood, try to walk at least 30 minutes a day.
• Develop a schedule. For me this meant getting up at the same time every day. Having a morning routine that was similar to when I was working, shower and dress as early as possible. Eat breakfast.
  - Schedule a certain amount of hours to your job search daily. For me it was 5 hours. Spend these hours promoting yourself. This can entail: posting for jobs, networking with your contacts (by phone and email), or using social networking sites. Remember that everyone you know and everyone you meet is a potential referral source to a job. I talk to everyone.
  - Get out of the house at least a couple of hours a day. Go to the grocery store, the library, take a class, and join a job club. I found a variety of groups on http://www.meetup.com/.
• Volunteer. Helping others is good for the psyche, the heart and your community. Volunteer Match is a good place to find a volunteer need in your community. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Volunteering can be anything from admin work for a non-profit, to helping at a homeless shelter, or local schools. http://www.volunteermatch.org/.
• Work on self improvement. This may end up being the quietest period in your adult life, a time for reflection, and quite possibly positive change. In life there are cycles. Sometimes bad things happen and our lives are turned upside down, and sometimes, we emerge out the other side with a new, happier and healthier life.
  

The power of the mind is huge. If you let yourself dwell in misery you won’t have room to see what is good in your life. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family. The people who care about you are your greatest allies. Be the person they enjoy. Take time to have fun and be a friend to others. Remember, you are not alone.

Kelly Leigh Wilson