Blogging for Change

How to Maintain Mental Health During Unemployment

by Emilie Burke on
9/12/2024
in Personal Finance
Man reading newspaper and drinking coffee.

When you’re in-between jobs, it can be a daily challenge to stay sane, let alone positive. The more days pass without a job offer, the more down you start to become. And that feeling will show when you present yourself for new opportunities, so after awhile it will start to hold you back.

Maintaining positive mental health when you're between jobs is necessary; not only to help you find your new position, but to keep your spirits up while you search. Feeling positive will keep you motivated and excited about the possible opportunities available.

If you’re struggling to stay positive, try these tips to get (and keep) your head in a good space. 

Keep a daily routine

Just because you’re not leaving the house everyday at 8 to go to a job doesn’t mean you should start sleeping in. Staying in a routine will keep you positive and it will make life a little easier when it’s time to adjust to a new job.

Instead of using your day for work, create a schedule for your day of the hours you’ll work on your job search, where you’ll look, what actions you’ll take each day, and even when you’ll take your lunch break and end for the day.

Don't let your physical health slip

When you're down, it can be hard to eat right and maintain exercise routines. But those things are important, not just for your body but for your mental health as well.

While you're unemployed, make sure to prioritize:

  • Getting enough sleep
  • Eating a health diet
  • Getting in some daily exercise

Depression makes a lot of excuses for why we shouldn't or can't take care of ourselves, but you need to fight those impulses. You're worth the effort.

Schedule time for yourself

Thinking about your job search 24/7 will get you feeling down in a hurry. Schedule time in each day to focus on something other than your job search. Do something that makes you happy and will keep you from worrying. Meditate, read a book, meet a friend for coffee, or take up a hobby.

Allow yourself to not think about finding a job every waking moment of your life. It will help alleviate a lot of stress.

Set goals

At the beginning of the week, set clear and specific goals for your job search for that week. How many resumes will you send out? How many phone calls will you make? How many connections on LinkedIn will you reach out to?

Make sure your goals are both specific and manageable because not reaching them will get you down. Making 100 calls in a week is probably not reasonable but reaching out to 15 new connections is.

Small, achievable goals are a great way to maintain structure and create a sense of accomplishment and progress.

Celebrate your wins

Don’t wait until you get a new job to celebrate. Instead, celebrate each win along the way. If you get an interview you were hoping for, make a new connection with an HR manager, or you reach your weekly goals a day early, celebrate! Find joy in the little moments along your journey.

Focus on what’s within your control

You can’t control if and when someone will respond to your email query or resume submission so there’s no sense worrying about it. Instead, focus on what you have control over. You can control how many connections you reach out to, how many cover letters you send, and how you handle yourself at networking events. Focusing only on what’s within your control will help you stay motivated to keep moving forward in your search.

Staying positive through a job search can be a job in itself, but by focusing on your attitude and keeping your spirits up, you’ll get through it easer and make a great impression along the way.

Coming out of a prolonged unemployment and don't know how to manage all the bills that have piled up? MMI offers free financial counseling 24/7, online and over the phone. Let our experts help you unpack your finances and create a plan to get you back to normal.

Tagged in Navigating change, Reducing expenses, Unemployment

Emilie writes about overcoming debt, while balancing trying to eat healthy, stay fit, and have a little fun along the way. You can find more of her work at BurkeDoes.com.

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