Give Yourself Time to Breathe

I’m seeing more and more posts from friends and former coworkers that are dealing with being unemployed during Age of COVID.  It’s distressing really.  Not for the market, as I have faith that things will return.  We’ll adapt and change there.  I’m concerned about those that are worried about paying bills, health insurance and other obligations and the mental toll that it takes on people…good, talented people who I know want to work hard and provide for their families.  I’ve had periods of unemployment in my career.  The most difficult part for me was not feeling like I’m providing for my family and the ones I love in my life.

Breathe

To those that are struggling with being unemployed right now, I have a few thoughts.  First, don’t forget to take care of your mental health needs.  You can’t spend day in and day out doing nothing but job hunting.  You just can’t.  Set aside time each day to hunt, virtually network and apply.  It will be enough time to stay on top of things.  Schedule it and stick to it.  When that time is done, then stop.

Breathe. 

Find something else to do to shift gears and refill your tank.  Give yourself permission to do something just for you every day.  During this time, I’ve taken AWS and LinkedIn trainings online, spent countless hours on Ancestry.com learning about my family history, brushed up on my Spanish online and learned to cook a lot of new meals (the C19 lbs are no joke).

Breathe

Finally, know that you’re not alone.  Don’t be afraid to talk about the way you’re feeling right now with friends and family.  They’re there to support you.  If you’re not comfortable with that, then there are many professional and mental health resources available.  Take care of you so that you’ll be your best when that opportunity, your opportunity, arises for you.