Maintaining the Ego.

One aspect of unemployment, which requires some attention, is maintaining the ego.  The initial joy of not having to go to work or answer to anybody can easily morph into depression and lowered self esteem.  With all of the well-wishers asking you daily, "Have you found a job yet?" or "Why don't you try the XYZ Company? I hear they're hiring," you may feel unable to enjoy a simple family gathering without being reminded that you are jobless.  And wait a minute!  Did Aunt Bessy just look at you sympathetically and make that tisk tisk, poor thing noise?  While fighting the urge to point out to them that the XYZ Company focuses on chemical engineering and that, ever since almost failing Chemistry in your sophomore year of high school, you have no background in that field, it is important to check your frustration and remind yourself that the well-wishers are good intentioned and truly do care for you.

Your best response is to remain positive and answer in such a manner that demonstrates that you are making forward progress.  To demonstrate, simply say "Well I haven't heard anything new this week, but I've been reworking my resume based on a few comments I received during my last interview" or "I've gotten some new contacts from yesterday's networking event, and I'll be following up with them."  If you haven't exhausted all of your resources and connections, then you have no reason to sound defeated.  By keeping this positive angle, you will also keep your mind in the proper forward gear and maybe even generate constructive conversation which may lead to new ideas.  I take a similar approach at networking events.  It can feel a bit odd when introducing yourself to someone as the "unemployed guy," so I simply state that I'm a "free agent."  That usually brings a smile to the person's face and sets a tone that I'm not a negative person; a key characteristic of a good employee.

Another simple step you can take: Get dressed in the morning.  I heard this advice years ago while watching a news reporter interviewing a woman upon reaching her 100th Birthday.  The woman stated that the key to keeping a healthy outlook in life was feeling human, having a purpose; and that could easily be achieved by getting dressed and being presentable each day.  This is easy to do during the first few weeks as you should still have the daily wake up routine in  place.  It becomes a challenge as the weeks go by and can easily fall by the wayside.  So wake up at a decent time (no sleeping in until 10:00 A.M.), shower, shave or put your face on, and get dressed.

If you require structure then it may also help to create a schedule for yourself.  Sounds silly, but remember, you are dealing with a situation that is out of the norm, and you don't have all of the familiar workday events occurring that provide that structure.  Set some goals and work those into your daily schedule as well:  clean the garage, sort through your old storage bins, hit the gym daily, etc.  These don't become your primary focus, but they give you a periodic break from the job hunt and allow your mind some free time.  Just don't use them as avoidances from the job hunt, that will easily be noticed by those around you.

So stay in the game, don't give up.  You are not a failure and you are not alone.  Get out and start networking, meeting others in your field.  There are always opportunities to learn more and improve your skill set during down times.