How to Keep Your Spirits High After Losing Your Job

Unemployment is one of the most terrifying things you can experience, let alone during a global pandemic. With so much uncertainty, people are at a loss for how to make ends meet all while worrying about their health and protecting their families. While you can’t find a job right away and make your problems vanish, you can take some calculated steps to work through this difficult situation and stop things from getting any worse. The suggestions in this article are designed to help you confront both immediate, pressing needs like food, shelter and safety as well as emotional stability. Mental health can be one of the biggest obstacles you face as unemployment looms over you and its effects permeate your life. No matter how bleak things may feel, you are not alone, and reading this article is the first step toward building your future.

Downsize Immediately

Cut out absolutely everything you don’t need to survive. This means any non-essential things like app subscriptions and streaming plans need to be suspended or canceled until you have income again. It may be difficult to let go of these things as they tend to provide a sense of comfort and stability, but you need to think about your immediate and long-term preservation. You’ll be able to resubscribe anytime, but you need as much money in the bank as possible.

You also need to consider whether it’s feasible to relocate; this could be mean moving out of your existing apartment or house and living with a roommate; you may decide to move back home with your parents or move in with friends temporarily. Or you could start looking for apartments that are smaller and more affordable than your current living situation. This isn’t easy, especially if you wind up having to raise an entire family in a studio or one-bedroom apartment. But this is temporary, and any savings you can manage will also ensure you keep a roof over your head longer.

Start Asking for Help

Don’t let pride or shame stand in the way of getting assistance. Your family and friends care about your well-being, and they can’t help you if you downplay the severity of your situation. Rather than assuring them that you’ll be fine or even negating to tell them you’ve lost your job, be honest. Let them know that things may not be completely bleak at the moment, but you will need some extra money, groceries, food or anything else they can offer, and it’s all greatly appreciated. You can also set up a GoFundMe or check subreddits that offer financial help and other assistance.

Tackle Bills Head On

Many people are afraid to reach out to their creditors and inform them they’ve lost their job and are unable to make payments. While this is understandable, it also only sets the worst-case scenario up to happen. The best thing you can do is immediately assess your financial obligations and figure out which arrangements need to be made. One possible solution to student loan debt is to click here to refinance. Refinancing loans helps you save money and offers greater flexibility in the interest rates, cosigner and more. You can reach out to a client happiness team member and they will walk you through the refinancing process. Credit card debt is also much more negotiable than people realize; reach out to your creditors as soon as you know you can’t make a payment. Even just agreeing to pay a less amount for a longer period of time can save you from defaulting and collections.

Stay Active

Physically and mentally, you have to avoid in wallowing. You can acknowledge your sadness, grief and frustration without giving up. If you don’t already have an exercise routine, integrate one into your daily schedule. The first thing you do in the morning should involve movement; sometimes, this is the only thing that can get you out of bed. It’s okay to admit you’re struggling, and you should. The only way you can move forward is if you accept the difficulty of the current situation. Activity should also be closely monitored to ensure it’s moving you in a positive direction. Avoid spending time all day online, scrolling through social media or watching TV. Substance use should also be avoided as it becomes much easier to turn drinking and smoking into dependencies when you’re feeling low and stressed.

If you need help and feel like no one around you can help, consider reaching out to a hotline. The National Suicide Lifeline is available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. It’s not just for people who are immediately planning to end their lives, either. Sometimes, you just need to let someone know how much you’re struggling. These trained responders can also help you connect with local resources that may be able to help.

Find Temporary Work

While you’re applying for new jobs, don’t avoid the temporary and part-time opportunities online. Remote customer service jobs are booming, and there are also many jobs that have highly flexible schedules like dog walking and grocery and food delivery. If you are able to market any of your talents, make a profile on Upwork or open a store on Etsy. Any income is better than no income, so continually seek out chances to earn money. Offer to do things for family and friends, too. They may need someone to run errands, watch their kids or pick up groceries from the store. If you have a hard time accepting help from people, doing things for them in exchange for some financial assistance can be a good workaround. And make sure to apply for unemployment benefits you may qualify for. They likely won’t cover all your living expenses, but having them to provide food or cover other living expenses is a tremendous help when you’re out of work. The wait for benefits may be longer than usual as so many people have recently lost their jobs; the sooner you apply, the better off you’ll be.