UNEMPLOYED, BORED AND FEELING DEPRESSED

A couple of months ago, I googled  ‘unemployed and bored’ because my head was about to melt off from doing absolutely nothing at home. Subsequently, I found a couple of blogs so I thought I would do something similar.

I was so depressed about being unemployed and was ashamed of my circumstances even though I knew it was not my fault. Being out of work is something that everyone will have to face at some point during their life and there are ways to get through it. Believe me I have been there.

After graduating, about a third of my class emigrated overseas to look for work. This was not for me so I went back to college to study for a Masters. 

After I graduated again, I was in and out of work like a yo-yo doing different internships and so on trying to gain experience.

I suffered a lot in the process but I learned a lot about myself during that time. 

So, from my experiences, I thought I would share some of my tips for being unemployed that may be helpful to you.

Bad unemployment habits 

- Getting out of bed late at around 2pm. This can turn into such a bad habit. It ruined my body clock. I didn’t know what was happening in the world, which is not good. It also gave me really bad headaches after a while. I gained weight too and missed all the decent rays of sunlight that the day offers. I also developed the worst eating schedule and got nothing done which made it difficult to sleep the next night.

- As a result of the previous bad habit I never got the chance to leave the house much. This is not good as we need fresh air to clear the head and some sort of vitamin D from the sun to keep us going.

- As a result of habit one and two, can you see a pattern here? Well, I became flustered and unorganised and started getting take away food for convenience. Easy eating but not good for your health or body.

- Spending too much time on the Internet looking up crap such as celebrity obsessed websites only makes you feel insecure and turns your head into mush.

- Taking too much time searching for jobs can also leave you feeling unwell especially when you are not in the right mind set for it.

- Another bad habit I got into was texting my friends when they are in work. Try really hard not to do this. Put yourself in the reverse position. They are working so leave them at it.

- It's not good to begrudge people who have a job. I got jealous of my friends when they got great jobs. You won't be unemployed forever so be happy for others who get a job because you will be there one day.

- Feeling sorry for yourself too often. This is a habit that gets you nowhere.

- Watching news where it is all doom and gloom. Take a break from the economic news hysteria until you get sorted. You really won't be missing much at all.

Good habits for being unemployed

- Because I was sick of getting up late, I trained myself to get out of bed early in the mornings. 

- It is hard to get up out of bed with no plan though. If I do not have some sort of a schedule for the day I will get stressed out thinking about what it is I should be doing, so, always prepare for the day ahead.

Remember to include times for
Breakfast
Exercise
Shower
Searching for jobs  
CV update
Lunch
Reading books
Meeting Friends
Volunteering
Coffee
Cleaning up
Going to the shops
Errands
Cooking/Baking
Dinner 
Writing in journal
Planning the next day

When you include some of the above in a schedule, next thing you know, you have filled up your entire day and you didn’t get flustered once thinking about it.

- Get into the great habit of going for a run/walk in the morning. Make sure to include it in your schedule as exercise totally burns up a lot of frustration.

- Start thinking about other goals such as aiming to run a half marathon, learning a language on an app, painting, sorting out the garden or whatever. It gets the mind a bit more focused on the other great things you can do with your life.

- If your room or house is a mess - clean it. A messy room can cause a messy head. Clearing out junk is like lifting a weight off your shoulders and it feels great after.

- Just because you are not working doesn’t mean you have to look like a bum. Getting up and getting ready makes you feel like you are more in control. Absolutely no excuses for not shaving, brushing your hair/teeth or staying in your PJs  all day.

- Volunteering for an hour or two a week can be a great way to meet new down to earth people and can change your perspective on life.

- Accepting your situation helps a lot too. When you accept you are depressed, unhappy and everything else, it is only then when you can make a plan to change things for the better.

- Treat yourself – Just because you have no job or money doesn’t mean you can’t spoil yourself. When I say spoil yourself I don’t mean buy a Ferrari. Little treats such as going down to a café and getting yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea. There is nothing like it, especially if you bring a book.

- Then in the evening take 5 minutes to write down 3 positives from the day. It helps train the mind to stay positive despite difficult times. 

>>UPDATE 2018

This blog was written in 2013 when I was 26. I am now 31 years old and have been mostly employed since. 

The messages I have received over the years have being mainly positive and I am glad I was able to help people even if only a little. 

When I published this blog, I really didn't think anyone would read it. However, I know now from my stats that thousands of people from all over the world have read this article meaning that there are many people out there who are feeling bored, unemployed and depressed. You are not alone.

I work in media which is mostly freelance so there are times in the year when I have no work. To this day, I will always make a daily schedule when I have no work on. It really does help settle the mind. 

However, it should be noted that I am not a mental health expert. If you are feeling vulnerable make sure to reach out to a professional.

Take care everyone and best of luck on your journey. This time of your life will make you very resilient and ultimately a stronger person.