Six Months Deep: How I'm STILL Dealing With Unemployment
I didn't even realize until 2:09pm EST that today, April 2, 2019, officially marks six months of me battling unemployment and I must say, the last two months, especially, have been extra difficult.
As most of you know, I was let go from my first job on October 2, 2018, (if you didn't you can read about it here), and from October to about mid-January, I really wasn't sweating the not-having-a-job thing -- that is, until the new year started to roll in and bills were due!
Luckily, the only utility bill I pay is the phone which rounds off to $26 a month. But this January, I also happened to pay to license my car for the year, which was about $90 because I had help (thanks!!), as well as my mom's Life Insurance ($38).
If you're wondering where I'm getting the funds from every month, until mid-January, I still had savings left over from my job and some pocket change from a few gigs here and there, but by the time February rolled in, I was completely DRY!!!
When I say DRY, I'm talkin': a well without water; a desert on the hottest day; ashy legs and elbows that haven't seen lotion in a year -- D-R-Y!
But, what makes this worse, is that this dryness didn't only affect me financially, but emotionally, physically and mentally as well.
The first few months after being terminated were great because it felt like a weight was lifted. I didn't have to wake up early anymore, sit through traffic, and be bothered by people who were becoming more annoying by the day. I could de-stress and figure the rest of my life out. In fact, towards the end of November through to the beginning of January, I was happily occupied with planning my aunt's surprise 50th birthday party. So, I was good.
However, it wasn't until all the planning and festivities were over and done with, that my reality really started to set in and I realized that this "being-at-home" life was not it.
I found myself scrolling through the same three social media apps all day and all night; constantly refreshing my email inbox; constantly searching for jobs and then applying to all that I was qualified for and wondering why I wasn't getting call backs; going to interviews that I was called back for; thinking about legitimate ways to earn money so that I can start saving for school; trying to figure out what exactly my skills are and how I can use them to maybe work-from-home and make my own income; still, constantly being home took a huge toll on me physically and mentally.
Physically, there's no motivation.
Most, if not all, the blogs and articles I've read about "How to Combat Being Unemployed" urge to try to stick to a sleeping schedule where you wake up early, even if you don't have anything specific planned for that day, just so your body won't get used to oversleeping into the afternoon. This is so vital.
The body definitely benefits from early rising because you're more energized, less ill and your brain is sharper. But, if you don't have activities planned, you can very easily fall into the "waking up in the afternoon and staying awake until 2am" pattern, which only breeds stress, weight gain and no motivation.
Then, there's the mental side of things.
This has definitely been the most my mental health has suffered in my whole life.
LIFE IS TRULY BORING WHEN THERE'S NOTHING TO DO!
After sending out what was probably my 40th résumé (exaggerating a bit but you get the gist), I just decided that I can't be cooped up in the house any longer, that I need to get out and do SOMETHING. So, I decided to volunteer with Hands for Hunger. CABIN FEVER IS REAL, even more now that I no longer have the excuse of being a student to stand on.
It's been an adjustment having to continuously say "I'm unemployed" whenever I go somewhere to collect or deliver something that requires my personal info, but even in the midst of my unemployment, I've found avenues to continue utilizing my writing skills and enhancing my résumé.
I volunteered one day last week and plan to continue. I've written a few press releases and try to keep up with my blog posts. I've applied for a few scholarships. I'm a work in progress.
Coincidentally, it's also the season of Lent, and I was hoping to use this time to pray a little more and be patient. To use this, as a time of request, reflection and reaction.
If you are struggling with being unemployed, one of the best ways to combat the struggle is to find fun ways to volunteer or give back to a community, whether it's yours or someone else's.
A few other ways to keep busy are to:
1. Learn A New Skill
2. Try Out A New Recipe
3. Exercise
4. Read More
5. Organize Your Closet And Donate Clothes You Don't Wear
5. Pray / Meditate
6. Keep A Positive Outlook
7. Remember that tough times don't last, tough people do.
If there is a silver lining in all this, it's that I no longer consider myself "unemployed", but more so "self-employed" and figuring everything out.
Sometimes it's easier said than done, but keep at it. I know I have to.
