Being Unemployed Get's the Mind Working

When you become unemployed there are a lot of thoughts and emotions that you experience. Initially you feel angry, frustrated, anxious, and worried. Some of the thoughts that will run through your mind will be something like: "How long will it take me to find another job?" "What am I going to do without health benefits?" and the scariest question of all, "How am I going to pay my bills?"

Yes, being unemployed is terrifying and extremely stressful, but being unemployed also provides us with a few important positives.

When you are unemployed and back on the job market, it gives you an opportunity to think about your skills, qualifications, and what job you would be passionate about. In a way it is sort of like a clean slate. If you previously found yourself in jobs that did not interest you then you can now contemplate what you truly enjoy doing and what you feel you are good at. Take this opportunity to take free career tests and personality tests to find out what work environments will work best for you. You can spend your extra time sulking or you can use this time as an opportunity to discover what your next career should be, or how you can advance in your current career field.

Another positive aspect of being unemployed is the ability to focus on what is "really" important in your life. When I say this, I do not mean anything job related. I am referring to the people you love. Even though I have only been unemployed for a short period of time, during this time I have realized how much my husband means to me. Since I do not have work distractions, I can really focus on our relationship for once. And this is the same for all of you; you can really use this time to spend with your spouse, children, friends and family, and have a chance to reconnect.

I write this not because I am trying to downplay the negative of being unemployed, but I am trying to share my thoughts and experiences I have had thus far while being unemployed. I think we need to realize that a job does not define us. Yes, it is a part of our life, but that's just it, it is just a part.

For the time being I may not be able to call myself a sales associate, an accountant, or a nurse, but I can call myself a wife, a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece, and a friend.