Getting Unemployment To Work

When you find yourself unemployed, it’s good to think about what to do with time off, or (so called) more time on your hands.  It is good to give it some thought, as so many just waste the time away, and then wonder where a few years went!  And worse, they regret lost opportunities, for not being ready.  And, when a job does finally come, they’re not in the right head space for it!  

I've had my share of being out of work.  Here are a few thoughts that I have found to work.

1.         Have the mindset that “you’re still working”.

This is important, so that you keep focused and your mind stays alert to stuff.  The holiday mode, should only last for the holiday, and we need to have a good one, a holiday that is.  But it needs to end, and back into work mode. 

2.         Keep to a regular schedule. 

I have always got up at a certain time, and kept to a reasonable regular weekday schedule.  Get up, devotions, breakfast, then depending on your life, for me it was study, or job hunting, then house work, meal preparations, a walk (a bit of extra time is a good thing to build into our life a habit of exercise if that is needed) then reading, or whatever.  But HAVE A SCHEDULE!  Otherwise the days will drift by and you’ll loose them.  When you keep busy-ish physically, it is amazing how that helps us keep sharp and alert mentally and spiritually.  

3.         Plan your days, weeks, months. 

This too is vital.  Plan your days, weeks and months.  They give you motivation, order and also give you something to look forward to.  When “something comes up”, you can look at your schedule and see if it is important to break into your usual plan of things (which is good sometimes) or diarise it for a set time.  Put into your plan jobs around the house, projects big and small, and outside the house stuff, so that when they’re done you can cross them off which gives you a great sense of achievement.  Any future employer will want to know you’ve used your time wisely even if you’ve had a lot of time out of work.  If you can say what you’ve done with your days, it helps. 

4.         Keep connected with people.

This too is important.  Obviously with Christian people to keep our faith alive and fresh, but all sorts of people to keep us alive relationally.  It is easy when not working, especially if finances are tight to get isolated, and away from people which is dangerous, as we lose the relational sharpness we need for normal work life.  Plan it in, cell group, Church, social group, or whatever it is that does it for us.  For us we have had a cell group all of exPastors, which has been a lifeline for me.  Kept me sane, and the prayer support has been invaluable.  This group for me has been able to minister to me prophetically, which has been awesome! 

5.         Learn something new to keep your mind active. 

Maybe take up something we have always wanted to for years.  This serves to keep the mind alert and learning.  Again a future employer will want to know that we’re able to learn new things, which is always the case in a new job.  But it is just good for us, to learn new things, meet new people, and expand us in many areas. 

There’s things you can do while you wait, like update your CV, learning how to write job application cover letters, and learning how to present yourself at a job interview.  If you need any help with those things, give me a shout.