It is a sad reality: being unemployed can have an effect on physical and mental health. If one is not careful, the unemployment can have deep, negative consequences.

So, what is the situation, and what can someone do about it? This is what we will talk about in this article. We will also see some tips that can help someone cope.

The situation

We all need to work to sustain ourselves. If we do not work, we do not have our primary needs taken care of. I am thinking of the basis: having food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof on our head, money to pay the bills. 

Probably you have some sort of financial aid from the government to have these important needs covered. Still, you probably feel anxious, because the risk that those primary needs are not met is higher during unemployment. 

You may have to renounce to vacations, going out for dinner and other unnecessary expenses. So, in order to survive, you have to renounce to some things that are not necessary in life, but may add a little bit of pleasure to it. 

Also, there are some negative feelings attached to being unemployed. If you do not work, for whatever the reason, you do not provide for yourself and your family, and you have to depend on others. Even if the financial aid from the government could be a right, you still may have a hard time asking for help. 

Anxiety for the next future, and negative feelings about yourself: they are not the easiest feelings to cope with. What can you do to combat them?

1. Consider unemployment your job

We all have to work, right? It might be easier for you if you consider your actual situation your job: your job is to find a job. Stay busy on that. 

This might help you in not feeling bad about receiving financial aid. If you work hard in finding a job, you demonstrate that you are doing your part well. 

Working hard in finding a job may also raise the possibility of you actually finding a job. That would end the difficult situation and get you a little more stability. You will certainly find a job quicker than if you were doing nothing.

Since you do not have a job, staying busy searching for one can help you in filling the time you previously had scheduled for your job. You don’t have nothing to do all day: if you want to, you have something to do in your day. There are many activities that an unemployed person has to do: searching for announcements, applying to them, being organized, personal growth like education.

If you don’t know what to do during you day, consider checking out this blog article I wrote: “How to schedule time when you are unemployed”. In it, I talk about a few activities an unemployed person can do.

2. Have a routine

I admit it, I am not the best at it, but this is important, because previously you had a routine for your week: you woke up and went to bed usually at the same time, and you had your days scheduled. Now that routine is gone, and that can be destabilizing. But you can fill in that old routine with a new one, just with another job – searching for a job.

So you can go to bed at night and wake up in the morning the same that you would when you had a job. Consider a few hours during the day your working hours. It is different than working in a company with other people: nobody is going to tell you that you arrived late for work, so you will have to be disciplined. It is a little bit like being self-employed, or being a student: you still have to work, but you decide when to. Having a routine may be better than working some hours here and there. But if you prefer otherwise, do what you prefer!

3. Consider professional help

If you feel that the anxious and negative feelings associated with unemployment are really having a big impact on your health, consider professional help. A psychotherapist or psychiatrist are professionals trained to handle these difficult situations.

I gave you some generic advices, but always consider professional help when doing what you can isn’t working. 

A therapist may listen to you and give you the tools you need to understand and cope with what you are going through. In addition, a psychiatrist may help you by giving you medications that are suited to you and may help.

Conclusion

Being unemployed may really be a difficult time. But with a little bit of adjustments and some help, one can face this difficult situation.