Five Things To Do When You Are Laid Off

Look for another job..duh! Network, update your resume, ask for references, blah, blah, you've heard all that before. So I am not going to talk about job hunting skills here. Maybe in a later post I will go more in to that. For now I am going to focus on ways I have spent my first week of unemployment that have helped me keep my spirits up.

1. Get your house organized. For me this was a monumental challenge! I was so pressed for time over the last year that things had gotten out of control. I had not one but 2 junk drawers overflowing in the kitchen. I had a sink full of unwashed dishes and a dishwasher full of clean ones. I had 25 bottles of half used beauty products and 5 year old eye shadows under my bathroom sink. I had 3 bags full of dry cleaning and a closet full of clothes I hadn't worn in years. The clothes I do wear were all in laundry baskets and piled high on the dryer because I think it had been over a month since I had put anything away. I had piles and piles of papers to file and random bags of things I needed to go through stacked in my spare bedroom. I had empty picture frames I never got around to filling. I had bookshelves overflowing with so much stuff!

So most of my week was spent getting my house in order. I cleaned out my junk drawers and closets. I did laundry and put it away. I threw out things that needed to go. I gave 4 bags of stuff to Good Will. I organized my bathroom and realized I had enough travel sized toiletries to stock a whole hotel. I went through mounds and mounds of stacked papers and mail deciding what to keep and file, what to take action on, and what to throw away.

And you know what? I'm not even done yet! I still have more stuff to go through in my spare room and I am going to install a new faucet in my bathroom (the other was cheap and gross). But now I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it feels so good! When your home is in order, your life just seems more in order and at peace.

2. Spend time outside. One thing about being stuck in an office all day is you miss out on so much sunshine! And sunshine just makes you feel better. I've been sitting on my patio during the day and opening my blinds. I take Cam for walks around the neighborhood. Even just running errands with the sunroof open can brighten your day!

3. Stay on a normal schedule. I am such a night owl that it would be easy to completely throw my schedule off and stay up all night and sleep all day. But I try to make a point to go to bed at about the same time I normally would and get up semi-early! I did decide to take a week off from the alarm clock, but my body still wakes me up around 9 so it hasn't gotten bad yet. Next week I'll probably go back to using the alarm though.

4. Be around people. Don't isolate yourself in the house. Get out in society. Be around people. Go to lunch with friends. Even if you just go shopping and chat with a random old lady about faucets or ask the Home Depot guy for help, some live human interaction everyday really helps.

5. Do something fun.On Friday witty guy is taking the day off and we are going to the zoo! My mom sent us some free passes she got from a friend. I am so excited. I haven't been to the zoo in forever. Having that to look forward to has kept my spirits up a lot and has made the week go by so fast! Also, little things like playing a game of Scrabble or going out for a drink with friends can do so much too.

This week has felt needed. I was losing all my motivation for life. I was burnt out, frustrated, confused. This break has been a breath of fresh air. Yes, I am nervous about the money situation. Yes, I think this will get old quickly. But it almost feels like such a blessing. Like it was just what I needed. I am looking and applying and updating and spending time everyday to find my next job. But I have faith that God has a plan for me and He knew I needed this. Things will probably get worse before they get better, but everything will be just fine.