Stuck in the Barrel: Tips For Staying Sane During Unemployment

by Jen Matthewson

Your brother had it for a month. Your best friend is still suffering. And you? You've just begun the infection. The cure? Un-unemployment. Yes, that's what I said. Un-unemployment. Whether you've just recently been laid off or spent the last year struggling to find a job, you empathize with others struggling through the emotional distress that comes with unemployment — feelings of inadequacy, getting up each morning without an office to visit, worrying about money more than ever. It can bring you down to personal depths of darkness you've never experienced before.

But what can you do to climb back out of the barrel, besides searching for jobs each day? From the go get 'em to the silly, here are a few tips to keeping your spirits up and a smirk on your face.

Exercise your body.

I mean the get-your-butt-up, walk-around-the-block, see-if-you-can-run-after-the newspaper-delivery-boy-after-he-purposely-tosses-the-newspaper-into-your-prized-rosebushes-for-the-seventh-time kind of exercise. Visit your local YMCA for unemployment-friendly workout prices. Writergrrl Terry Trimingham offers this advice: "When I got laid off, one of my working friends called up and said, 'You need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, and I need some exercise!' We ended up walking an hour three times a week (at 6:00am - ugh) and it was the best thing that happened to me. I had a great reason to get out of bed and I really looked forward to those walks. When I got back home I had energy to face the day. I can't stress enough how that turned my life around!"

Share your anxiety with others.

Missing your daily work routine? Head over to Office Depot to reminisce about the "good ole' days." As you're perusing the software aisle, stop at the first Microsoft program you come to, grasp it and announce loudly, "If Bill had hired me, I would've made his monopoly complete!" Leave the store mumbling about Boardwalk and Marvin Gardens, shouting, "Go directly to jail! Do not pass go!" once or twice.

Exercise your mind.

While focusing on your physical fitness is important, your mind must stay active during unemployment as well. Take an afternoon or two to peruse the latest releases at Barnes & Noble or Borders. Writergrrl Janet Scarborough suggests a little inspirational reading such as Are You a Corporate Refugee? A Survival Guide for Downsized, Disillusioned, and Displaced Workers by Ruth Luban, Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman, and Losing Your Job - Reclaiming Your Soul: Stories of Resilience, Renewal, and Hope by Mary Lynn Pulley.

As most of us, employed or not, spend our days staring at a computer screen, why not take some time to find a comfy spot at the local coffee shop and read up on the latest news on paper for a change of pace? Local community colleges offer unemployment-friendly fees for non-credit courses in the arts, computer classes, and many more. Focus on your positives! "During my time of unemployment this past summer, I bought an easel and some watercolors and decided I was not only a writer, but also an artist," Writergrrl Eve Lopez explains. "I painted blank pieces of paper and made stationery and wrote letters to old college friends."

Get yourself a support group.

No, I'm not talking about one of those "Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I watch too much daytime television," kind of support groups. I'm talking about a network of friends and family, both employed and unemployed, whom you can look to for support. Every industry has been hit with downsizing, so chances are you're in the majority. Support groups can be found in the form of e-mail discussion lists, local coffee shop or library groupings, and often times previous co-workers. Terry Trimingham concurs. "I made it a point to talk with someone each time I took a class at the unemployment office. I ended up having coffee with two different women, and eventually we pulled together to have a little unemployed support group where we met for coffee once a week. It was really nice to know someone who was in the same boat as I was, and it got me out of the house!"

Make a lunch date with your mailman.

Wine him, dine him, flirt with him. Do what it takes to ensure you receive that unemployment check on time. And just think, if you follow suggestion number 1, you'll have a better chance of catching his mail truck with a dead sprint if he forgets to drop off your check.

Become a Saturday Night Live star in your own mind.

The most important suggestion is to not lose faith in yourself. Remind yourself of all those things you've accomplished over your lifetime and moments you thought you'd never succeed. It will remind you of how brightly your star shone after adversity. Keep your sense of humor and you'll make it through this dark time as well. And remember, from the words of a Saturday Night Live star, you're good enough, you're smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like you.

Jen Matthewson is a stellar writer located in the Portland, Oregon area. Published in The Writer, she continues to query editors like mad in her pursuit of writing happiness.