Unemployment Survival Guide, Vol. 1- Don’t Panic
By: Lex Kiefhaber
Tags: Unemployment, Startup Life, Getting Unstuck, Startup Lessons, Self Improvement

1. Don’t Panic.

Take a deep breath and know that this, like most all things, will be ok, and it will certainly, eventually, be over. What’s most important during this time of transition- whether self-imposed or otherwise- is recognizing that you can choose what context to see it in. Either it will be an opportunity for self-reflection, focus and growth, or an exhausting trial in sustained anxiety. For the sake of your sanity (and career), take door number one.

2. Continue not panicking.

Understand that you’re in this for as long as you’re in this, so develop the mental tools and physical habits that will safeguard you against those momentary episodes of nihilism and/or resignation (more on the what and how in later posts). Unemployment can feel like quicksand, you’ll need a number of ropes to grab onto, and when one fails have another one at the ready.

3. Actively pay attention to what makes you happy, and do those things

You may be surprised at what you find. Often when in grinding-job-mode we’re focused entirely on what needs to get done with a gentle and woefully rare sprinkling of things you like to do. Take this moment when no one is requiring you to do things to better understand how the things you do positively affect your happiness, and then WRITE THOSE THINGS DOWN! When you get back in the job hunt knowing what your time is worth is much easier if you have an idea of how spending it will affect your happiness, not just your wallet. Insider tip: try new things, continue doing the ones that create happiness, limit or eliminate those that do not. Duh.

4. Count your chickens.

They’ve already hatched, and they’re all around you: your skills, talents and character. I’ve found this to be helpful: write down a list of five things you’re good at. Can be hard skills you’ve learned (making the perfect Manhattan, writing persuasively, whatever “proficient in SQL” means), talents you have (communicating with diverse groups of people, prioritizing your workday, being hilarious) or qualities of your character (indomitable grit, exceptional capacity listen, uncommon empathy). Keep that list handy, which will also be a useful crib sheet to use when job hunting. But more so, it serves as a reminder that having nothing to do (for the moment) doesn’t mean that there’s nothing you can do.

5. Talk to your chickens.

There’s much to be said for networking, most of it annoying, but one of the underreported values is that speaking to people who are already on your team reminds you of your worth. Start with the home team, like your parents and partner/dog/plant, then build outward, to friends, past colleagues, and so forth. These don’t always need to be purely job-seeking-related conversations, but continuing to put yourself out there is fantastic practice at being a human, which will be important when you’re ready to get that next job. You also have no idea where it can lead- conversations beget opportunities, which are generally obscure until you explore them.

6. For the love of all that’s good, EXERCISE YOUR BODY

There’s nothing more intrinsic to feeling good than actually feeling good. Your effectiveness at getting a job (or, doing anything) will only be improved by getting off your couch for 20 minutes every day and moving your body. I’m not saying you need to go out and run six miles, but build daily activity into your routine and stick to it. While I’m told there are health benefits to exercise, what’s vitally important is feeling like you’ve accomplished at least one thing every day, and even if that one thing is doing something that approximates sit-ups until your heart rate is most angry, it’s a thing, it’s free, and it will make your life better. I know you have the time, this is non-negotiable. Do it.

7. Be kind to yourself.

Ok, this one can be hard, even in the best of times. But when you don’t have a built in system of positive-reinforcement (not that that would be a job necessarily, unless you’re a zookeeper of exclusively Koalas) and have way too much free time and don’t have a paycheck, it can be triple-ly difficult. Repeat steps 3–6 as chicken soup, but also in smaller, quieter moments, remind yourself that this current state of unemployment is probably a reflection of things largely out of your control. How it affects your attitude is entirely on you. So, practice self-care, read books, stay off twitter, and remember that the best resource you’ll ever have is how well you respond to adversity. Insider tip: try being unnecessarily kind to someone else once a day, you’ll find there’s magic in that.