5 Healthy Ways to Make Your Unemployment Time Positive

Hearing about the high (and slow to change) unemployment rate is certainly depressing; especially when you’ve just lost your job. Many feel that the recession has changed the psychology of hiring for a good majority companies. Employers are afraid to hire a full-time staff in fear that things will take a turn for the worst once again; therefore many hopeful employees are left moving from job to job. This led me to wonder: What should people be doing in between all these jobs? Is it possible to turn unemployment into something positive and enjoyable?

Looking for a job is fairly obvious, but there should still be a lot of time left unaccounted for during the day. Looking for a job during all hours of the day is simply not healthy, and as it turns out, being healthy will help your attitude and overall outlook on the situation. In other words, it is important not to fall into a rut if you find yourself unemployed. Take your extra time to not only look for new job opportunities and/or professional development opportunities, but try to rejuvenate yourself by getting healthy.

5 Things That Need to Get a Little Healthier

1. Healthy Relationships—The worst thing you can do is sulk about being unemployed to the people in your life. Instead, try to help out your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend and be positive about their job if they are employed. If you have children, spend your time going to school functions or carpooling. Sometimes a lay-off in the family can actually break the family apart and children can start misbehaving, so make it your mission to keep the family relationships on track.

2. Healthy Mind—There are tons of things you can do to help improve your mind. If you are unemployed, you are no longer forced to focus on any challenging tasks. Unfortunately, in most cases many let the whole idea of a healthy mind fall by the wayside to make room for some reality television. Instead, make it a priority to read a book, stay involved in social networking (yes, this will keep your mind sharp), and that project you never had time for.

3. Healthy House—People have proven that a clean house or apartment helps a person stay calm; stay focused, and improves their attitude. If you’re unemployed, you will not only have time to clean the house, but you can find the time to replace outdated decorations. In a few cases, people began to spend so much time in their house after a lay-off that they discovered more serious issues such as chemicals in the house as well as unsafe situations for children. Now is the time to get your house in tip-top shape.

4. Healthy Body—This one is a bit obvious, but worth a mention nonetheless. Having extra time on your hands will allow you to join a gym and learn to cook healthier foods. Although this may be difficult at the start, it will help you get the energy to look for another job.

5. Healthy Wallet—Take time to focus on saving money and getting your finances in order. Take the time to cut out coupons, pay off any outstanding fees, etc. You may even find that this is somewhat of a stress reliever. Money will certainly be on your mind, so knowing your money is all accounted for will help you stay positive during your time at home.

Most people begin feverishly looking for a new job the minute they get laid off. This is, of course, an excellent idea. However, many are forgetting the fact that health is an extremely important part of staying motivated and sane during a long day of job searching. Believe it or not, getting laid off can be a positive experience if you want it to be. Take the time to get healthy, and then watch how much more productive you will be when you start your next job.