{"id":1331,"date":"2010-01-04T19:33:35","date_gmt":"2010-01-05T03:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=1331"},"modified":"2013-08-21T09:03:38","modified_gmt":"2013-08-21T17:03:38","slug":"the-upside-of-the-economic-downturn-why-being-unemployed-isnt-so-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-upside-of-the-economic-downturn-why-being-unemployed-isnt-so-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"The Upside Of The Economic Downturn: Why Being Unemployed Isn’t So Bad"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/a><\/p>\n

Image courtesy of Roy Lichtenstein<\/em><\/p>\n

With the economy being as tough as it is, and so many people struggling to find work, including many who will read this, it\u2019s very easy to fall into a dark hole of depression and despair.\u00a0 How will I find another job\u2026 when will I find another job?\u00a0 How will I pay the bills, feed my kids, afford the rent?<\/em> When will this economy improve\u2026 will it EVER improve?<\/em> As we spend hour upon hour on Craigslist and other sites searching for jobs, sending our resumes into a black hole called the internet, these are the questions that crowd our minds.<\/p>\n

Then, of course, there is the interview process.\u00a0 Our hopes held high with that first phone call: \u201cWe were looking over your resume and really like what we see\u2026\u201d only to be shattered later with the second or third call (or better yet, a very impersonal email): \u201cAfter going through the interview process, we have decided to go with another candidate whose skill set best fits the qualifications of the position.\u00a0 We wish you the best of luck in your on-going search for employment.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost worse than getting laid-off.\u00a0 Rejection is never easy.\u00a0 Uncertainty never comfortable.\u00a0 Unemployment never fun.\u00a0 Or is it?\u00a0 Could it be?\u00a0 If we looked at it from a different perspective, is it possible to find an upside in all of this?<\/p>\n

Maybe so.<\/p>\n

Think about your life before your first job<\/strong>.\u00a0 What was your dream?\u00a0 Not your goal nor your plans, but your dream<\/em>\u2026 that far away, far-fetched idea that you spent nights discussing with your friends in college, or discussing with yourself as your mind wandered in art history class.\u00a0 I wanted to write for a fashion magazine.\u00a0 (And save the world.)\u00a0 My girlfriend wanted to be Christiane Amanpour, traveling through the worst parts of the world exposing injustice and crimes against humanity.\u00a0 I\u2019m unemployed now\u2026 she\u2019s a mother of two.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 could that terrible blow to our egos when we get axed from a job we sort of hated anyway actually be a blessing, a wake-up call that it\u2019s time to do what we want<\/em> to do?\u00a0 And not what we think we should be doing?<\/p>\n

Instead of focusing our attention on all the terrible things about being unemployed, here are a few reasons why it actually isn\u2019t so bad:<\/p>\n

1. We can wake up in the morning and think to ourselves that ANYTHING is possible.<\/strong><\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n

Gone are the days where our entire day, week, year\u2026 lives\u2026 are scheduled by the hour.\u00a0 Instead of waking up at 5am – heading to the gym for a 45 minute workout, back home to shower, in the car by 7:30 and at the office by 8:45-9am depending on traffic – we can finally wake up and enjoy the silence.\u00a0 We can finally wake up and enjoy the possibilities that the new day will bring to us.\u00a0 Maybe I\u2019ll do yoga, or cook a magnificent dinner for my lover, maybe I\u2019ll start writing that book I\u2019ve always wanted to write, or paint or sculpt or walk on the beach\u2026 or maybe, just maybe, I\u2019ll lay in bed all day because it\u2019s been 15 years since I\u2019ve had the chance to do it.\u00a0 The point is that we can finally decide how to spend our day because it\u2019s no longer incrementally mapped out for us by the hour.\u00a0 Better yet, we finally have the option not to decide at all, but rather to float.\u00a0 We can let the day take us where it wants, rather than trying to control the hands on the clock and wishing hours away just so we can finally escape the office.<\/p>\n

2. <\/em><\/strong>There\u2019s finally time for exercise!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Gyms love to advertise with reverse psychology- which is just a diplomatic term for guilt.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t use your job as an excuse to avoid the gym\u2026 or over eat and gain weight.\u201d\u00a0 Ha!\u00a0 I\u2019m wondering if any of those fitness trainers have ever had to work a 40-60 hour week, as well as cook dinner for their kids, walk the dog, get the kids to bed and then clean up after their mess.\u00a0 Unemployment, as difficult as it is, is the perfect \u201cme\u201d time.\u00a0 Get out there and bike\u2026 or go on a hike\u2026 or join the gym.\u00a0 Take a walk with your spouse for the first time in 20 years.\u00a0 Start to get fit together and go home to make yourselves a delightfully healthy lunch rather than grabbing some fast food on a lunch break!\u00a0 This is some much needed down time, a time to focus on you.\u00a0 Get those endorphins pumping and your mood will begin to enhance as quickly as your waistline begins to decrease.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

3. <\/em><\/strong>Volunteer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the best ways to feel better about yourself is by helping another who is in greater need. \u00a0Even if for only one day of your unemployment, take that time to give your<\/em> time to someone else.\u00a0 Feed the homeless, read a book to school children, become someone\u2019s mentor.\u00a0 Volunteering is such a fulfilling act of kindness\u2026 and the rewards are immeasurable.\u00a0 We all need to be reminded sometimes that things could always be worse\u2026 and for many, they are.<\/p>\n

4. <\/em><\/strong>You can finally be your own boss.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own business?\u00a0 Or maybe working from home?\u00a0 It can be very liberating to finally have control of your time.\u00a0 You have flexibility and a better balance between your personal and professional time.\u00a0 Whether you choose to embark on an entrepreneurial journey or find yourself another job in a company, it is important to take this time of unemployment to get to know yourself, and your needs thereby becoming the boss of your own life.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you will<\/em> find a job again.\u00a0 You will get hired again.\u00a0 This economy is cyclical, and we are due for the upswing.\u00a0 In the meantime, try to fill the downtime with positivity and pro-activity.\u00a0 Get to know yourself, so that when you do find a new job it will not define you, but you will define the job\u2026 and where this new venture fits into your life.<\/p>\n

Good luck and enjoy the ride!<\/p>\n

Melisa Verrecchia is a Guest Blogger for PickTheBrain and a freelance writer.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Overcoming A Loss Of Motivation<\/a><\/p>\n

Free Audio Books For Motivation<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s almost worse than getting laid-off. Rejection is never easy. Uncertainty never comfortable. Unemployment never fun. Or is it? Could it be? If we looked at it from a different perspective, is it possible to find an upside in all of this? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":12829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[37,6],"tags":[4645,4641,199,4631,66,4629,4640,198],"yoast_head":"\nThe Upside Of The Economic Downturn: Why Being Unemployed Isn't So Bad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It\u2019s almost worse than getting laid-off. Rejection is never easy. Uncertainty never comfortable. Unemployment never fun. Or is it? Could it be? 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