Photo by Szűcs László on Unsplash
If you don't already know. I'm unemployed. If you didn't read my last blog, shame on you, but you can catch up here.
Good, you're back. My goal with this series of blogs is to help people who are going through tough times, like losing a job unexpectedly, and inspire them to persevere despite their circumstances. The last blog was more about feelings, which is an OK thing to talk about, but I wanted to also offer practical thoughts and advice for moving through difficult times. Most of my advice comes from my own mistakes and experiences in life.
If you're like me, and I bet that most of you are, then you got a job at an early age. For me, it was sixteen, more specifically I started my first job the day after I turned sixteen. My first job was working at chick-fil-a in the local mall. It was a great job, and it afforded me all the freedom and independance that a sixteen year old needs. I learned a lot about people at this job, like the fact that people are generally the worst...
"Ma'am, I'm sorry you are in a hurry, but we've got six lines open all rolling six people deep. There's literally nothing we can do to make it any faster. How about not going to the most popular restaurant in the mall on a Friday night if you're in a hurry, Brenda!!!"
Sorry, I digress...
I also learned a lot about life. I was reminded of a story from this job that has resonated with me all these years later (17 to be exact). I started shaving at an early age, and as you know, beards and food do not mix, unless of course you own a hipster pub, and then you can do whatever the heck you want. I was told by my boss that I was gonna have to shave every day, but I was sixteen, and my little hormone filled monkey brain did not think that all the rules applied to me, so one day I didn't shave. I sauntered into work like I had just played the system. I figured it out before anyone else. All I had to do was just ignore societies rules, and pretend that "I forgot", or that I had some exemption, because I was hairy, and it hurt to shave.
But my boss, Ed, had other plans...
He asked me why I didn't shave, and I told him that I forgot, because that sometimes worked on my parents. He didn't seem to care. I offered to go home and shave. That went over with even less success. He opened up his desk drawer and pulled out a can of shaving cream and a disposable razor. He told me to go to the mall bathroom and shave. I felt so humiliated seeing everyone's sideways looks as I shaved in the sink like a homeless person. I was mad, for a long time. It wasn't until years later that I was able to see this experience as helpful. The world does not revolve around you, and there are rules that apply to everyone regardless of your situation. These ideas are the foundation for my rules for being unemployed.
Rule #1: Wake up at a normal time
I know it's easy to think that you don't need to wake up at any particular time, because you don't have a job, or you just want some "me" time, but productivity is like a muscle, it will wither away and die if you don't use it regularly. Having regular sleep patterns is an easy way to stay productive. There is also evidence that links our sleep to our mood. I can speak from personal experience that too much sleep as well as too little sleep have similar effects on my ability to process stress and anxiety. So, wake up at a reasonable time. It doesn't have to be 5AM, but it shouldn't be noon either. I realize that it sounds simple for some people, but sometimes it sounds difficult to the rest of us. I have Fibromyalgia, and some days the pain and lethargy are overwhelming. I promise you that getting regular sleep will help.
Rule #2: Put pants on
Again, this is part of that whole "living in a society" thing. If you don't have pants on, or you have basketball shorts or sweatpants on, you aren't going to be ready for the opportunities of the day. It could be something as simple as getting lunch with your wife, which is what I'm doing to today. Meeting my wife for lunch is not going to help me get a job, but it is going to remind my wife that I care about her, which will benefit me when I have a job and don't have opportunities like this. Or it could be an opportunity to meet with a friend for coffee. There are always opportunities to put yourself out there and keep your networks viable which are priceless resources when you are looking for a job. Put pant's on.
More rules to come. Let me know what you think about the rules so far by commenting below, or on social media. I welcome any criticism you may have.