I attended a "career camp" at Dunwoody Methodist Church last night (they did a fantastic job!), specifically because there were some wonderful speakers presenting on social networking and multimedia, which are topics near and dear to my technologically-challenged mind. I know the economy's been awful, but I was stunned at the numbers of job-seekers that filled the room, and there was one glaring fact that caught my attention.
Many of those in attendance described themselves as depressed.
It's not a stretch to see how depression and unemployment go hand in hand. Losing a job can be devastating. Besides the obvious financial strain, it is an emotional strain as well. One's employment often provides an identity as well as a sense of belonging within a community, and a feeling of positive self-worth. Once that person is no longer employed, they may feel lost, angry and helpless, and depression often manifests as a result.
There are three things you MUST do if you are unemployed, to avoid becoming depressed and further prolonging your job search:
1. Get moving. Don't allow yourself to spend more than an hour at a time sitting. Get up, move around, stretch, lift weights, go running, take a fitness class, do yoga, or just go play catch with your kids. Body motion means good brain chemistry, which means you feel better and are more productive and happy. And regular exercise will give you the stamina and self-confidence to manage any job search.
2. Don't isolate yourself. Get out and spend face time with others, both those you know well as well as new contacts. The worst thing you can do is sit in front of the computer in a dark room all day submitting resumes. A few minutes chatting with a friend can do wonders for your mood. Job networking meetings are very useful, but don't limit yourself to these groups. Find a hobby, an interest, that you can share with others that will help you divert that negative energy and keep you on a positive functioning level.
3. Be like water flowing downhill. Everyone encounters a roadblock or two when they are trying to meet a goal. If you meet a roadblock in your search, don't let it stop you. Just go around it and keep on flowing. You might see something along the way you had never even considered.
Be healthy, my friends.
Many of those in attendance described themselves as depressed.
It's not a stretch to see how depression and unemployment go hand in hand. Losing a job can be devastating. Besides the obvious financial strain, it is an emotional strain as well. One's employment often provides an identity as well as a sense of belonging within a community, and a feeling of positive self-worth. Once that person is no longer employed, they may feel lost, angry and helpless, and depression often manifests as a result.
There are three things you MUST do if you are unemployed, to avoid becoming depressed and further prolonging your job search:
1. Get moving. Don't allow yourself to spend more than an hour at a time sitting. Get up, move around, stretch, lift weights, go running, take a fitness class, do yoga, or just go play catch with your kids. Body motion means good brain chemistry, which means you feel better and are more productive and happy. And regular exercise will give you the stamina and self-confidence to manage any job search.
2. Don't isolate yourself. Get out and spend face time with others, both those you know well as well as new contacts. The worst thing you can do is sit in front of the computer in a dark room all day submitting resumes. A few minutes chatting with a friend can do wonders for your mood. Job networking meetings are very useful, but don't limit yourself to these groups. Find a hobby, an interest, that you can share with others that will help you divert that negative energy and keep you on a positive functioning level.
3. Be like water flowing downhill. Everyone encounters a roadblock or two when they are trying to meet a goal. If you meet a roadblock in your search, don't let it stop you. Just go around it and keep on flowing. You might see something along the way you had never even considered.
Be healthy, my friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment