Beating the Unemployment Blues

There is no easy way to deal with the loss of a job. It can be tough mentally and the stress from uncertainty can spill over to those closest to you. Unemployment Insurance can help financially if you lose your job due to no fault of your own. If, on the other hand, you quit or are fired due to neglect of your duties, you can find yourself in a much more difficult situation. Generally, feelings of failure or panic can set in pretty quickly and make you wonder how you found yourself in the position you are in. The most important thing to do is to stay positive and become proactive in looking for that next job.

Below are steps you can take to help cover financial commitments, open new doors and stay mentally strong.

Turn to Others
There are various websites that have online support groups to help you deal with the negative feelings that come with the abrupt change in your life. Not only will you be able to vent and get input from others about your current situation, you will also get feedback from those who have already gone through or are going through what you are as well. These groups also can be a great form of networking to find work.

Daily Needs
One cannot live on hope and willpower alone. You need to feed mouths and pay bills. Often, you can turn to non-profits, your church or other charitable organizations. There are numerous groups that can help in many ways – Community Action Agencies can help across almost every aspect of daily needs or point you in the right direction. Getting help with bills, assistance with food or other needs can be organized through CAAs.

 
Keep Busy
One of the biggest factors that you will face is the lack of motivation to keep moving forward. You have skills, desires, hopes and dreams; polish up and learn new things as you look for work. Also take advantage of websites like Elance, Fiverr, or even Etsy , they provided plenty of opportunity to make some, or a lot of money from home. None of these sites are get-rich-quick schemes, but they will help you make a little money here and there depending on your skill set. Who knows, you may even find your calling and start your own business.

Further you’re Education
This may be a strange time to consider picking up a new set of skills. However, it can also be a perfect time to move into a new direction and career. There are a range of options here, you can take specialized courses, take on an internship or apprenticeship or an entry level position in the field you’d like to get involved in. Sometimes opportunity lies within what seems like a misfortune.

The key here is to not let unemployment set you back. Use it as a way to help you move forward. You are not defined by your failures, but by your reaction to those failures. No single person is successful all the time, and those that are most successful generally got there through overcoming a great deal of obstacles. Keep that in mind as you try to find the right path for you moving forward.