Five Ways to Avoid Unemployment Depression

Finding yourself suddenly unemployed can wreak havoc on your self-worth and lead to depression. Sure, you should start looking for a new job right away to deal with your financial situation, but what about your emotional state? The trick is to stay productive and do things that will make you feel accomplished while you look for work. Here are five easy things you can do to avoid the unemployment blues.

1. Clean your house.

Being unemployed is bad enough. Being unemployed and sitting around a messy house all day is worse. You'd be surprised at how having a clean house can lift your spirits. And now that you've got eight extra hours a day to kill, staying productive will fight off the depression that comes with feeling like you've got nothing to get out of bed for. Reorganize your closets, sweep behind kitchen appliances, donate unwanted things to Salvation Army, and really give your home a deep cleaning you can be proud of. You'll be glad you spent the time now when you start working again and don't have the time anymore.

2. Go grocery shopping.

It seems counterintuitive to spend a ton of money when you've just lost your job, but stocking up on groceries now will save you money in the long run. You're going to have to eat, and you're going to have to economize, so save money by making all your meals at home.

Going grocery shopping has the added bonus of being comforting. You can buy all your favorite foods and take pleasure and pride in the meals you prepare.

3. Run all those errands you've been putting off.

A great way to achieve a sense of accomplishment is to finish something you've been putting off for awhile. Have you been meaning to mail Grandma's birthday present, get Fluffy a new collar, or return those overdue library books? There's no time like the present! Plus, errands feel so much like work that you'll hardly miss your job while you're out running around.

4. Spend time with family, kids and pets.

It's normal to want to push people away when you're experiencing unemployment depression, but the people who love you the most will be the people who can cheer you up. And now that you're not working, you can't use being busy as an excuse.

Take the rugrats to the art museum, take Fido to the dog park, challenge Mom to a game of Monopoly; it doesn't matter. Think of being unemployed as a great opportunity to notice the little things about the people you love and take comfort in their presence.

5. Apply for unemployment right away.

Becoming suddenly unemployed is one of the scariest feelings in the world. Curb the panic and depression by applying for unemployment right away. It's easy to procrastinate on this one, because applying for unemployment can feel like a bureaucratic nightmare. You are eligible to apply for unemployment on the first day you would have worked after losing your job. And getting the application process over with quickly means that you won't have to worry about how you'll pay your phone bill while you look for a new job.