Losing a job can be hard to deal with especially if you’re struggling with depression. If you’re in that situation, here are five tips to help you cope and overcome.
Dealing with depression is already tough, but adding unemployment to the mix? You probably feel like the whole world is conspiring against you and there’s no good thing left in the world for you. And you know what? It’s okay to feel this way.
The thought of an uncertain future and instability is making you feel useless and detached? That’s okay.
The thought of having to go through a new set of interviews is making you feel like you wanna hide under a rock? That’s okay.
While all that you feel is valid, here’s one thing we want you to know: dealing with depression and unemployment may feel like a sucker punch to the gut, but you’re fully capable of overcoming it.
Right now, it may not feel like that’s the case but we’re here to tell you the truth: you have an innate resilience in you that can help you overcome your depressive symptoms and even the uncertainties of the world. You just need to regain control of your thoughts and put your mind and body to action.
Granted, it won’t be a walk in the park but with patience, self-love, and commitment to treatments, you can turn this setback into a testimony. It will take some time but you’ll get there. All you have to do is to put one foot after the other and keep looking ahead.
Let’s take a look at five coping tips that you can take to manage your depressive symptoms and navigate unemployment.
Are you ready to overcome your situation? Let’s go.
Take breaks and speak life to yourself.
One thing about depression is it can rob you of your time to take breaks because you feel constantly restless or mentally fatigued from constantly worrying about your situation. Even worse, it can trigger a mindset trap of self-deprecation where you’ll be your own worst critic; throwing judgments on yourself.
If you find yourself doing those things, pause and take a break.
Even though there are times when stress can be a positive motivator to get things done, we have to be mindful of the current realities. Is it easy to land a job right now? Are there plenty of opportunities currently available? If the market isn’t open or if there’s an ongoing economic crisis, chances are landing a job would be difficult — and that’s okay!
When depression tells you that you’re not trying hard enough or you’re not good enough, stop dead in your tracks and take deep breaths through your nose. Quiet your mind and flush out the negative thoughts.
Tell yourself: It’s not my fault. It’s just how the world is at the moment.
Unrelenting stress and self-criticism can have negative effects on your mental health, so be kind to yourself and speak life instead of lies.
One of the things you can do is to actively wait. Proactively prepare for employment by focusing on your strengths and building your self-esteem. Because living with depression can sometimes make us forget our self-worth, our confidence tends to crumble. Using the time you have on your hands to practice answering interview questions like “what are your strengths?” or “why are the right candidate for this position?” can be a productive use of your time and a healthy distraction from negative thoughts.
To make your exercise more effective, you can use a gratitude journal to practice speaking life to yourself. Here are three things you can opt to write down:
- Record all the things you are thankful for each day
- List all the positive qualities you showed during the day
- Jot down all that you’re looking forward to in the future
Make it a point to schedule a specific time in the day to log your journal entries and stay consistent. You can opt to use a nice notebook or download a digital journal like Grateful that will give you daily prompts so you can build your habit better.
Exercise and get some endorphin boost.
Exercising isn’t just good for your body, it’s good for your mind, too!
You’ve probably heard the word “endorphins” thrown around at some point in a conversation about exercise, and that’s because these are the key to boosting your mood. Studies show that when you engage in physical activity, your brain releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for reducing your perception of pain, decreasing stress, improving your sleep, and energizing you from within.
In a Harvard study, the positive psychological effects of exercise were even likened to be as effective as antidepressants. This is great news for you because these benefits come with no side effects — an all-natural treatment for depression that you can enjoy by walking for an hour, running 15 minutes, or even integrating 10,000 steps throughout your daily schedule.
Fight the urge to isolate and connect with loved ones.
While the temptation to close yourself from the rest of the world is strong, there’s no escaping the fact that we need social connection.
Research shows that those who feel more connected have lower levels of depression. Being around an understanding and loving community can counter the feelings of sadness and replace it with feelings of belongingness, assurance, and love. This is why a strong social connection is one of the best protective factors for depression.
So, think of someone or a group of individuals who have been positively supporting and understanding, and reach out to them. Be intentional in making time to connect with them and even do activities together.
If you don’t have anyone like that in your immediate circle, consider an online support group. There are plenty of great online communities specifically made to be safe and welcoming places for social connections.
Seek the help of a professional.
There are depressive symptoms that are triggered by situations. These are called situational depression and they can go away once you find a job. However, it’s always best to cover all your bases and see a professional to be a hundred percent sure. When left untreated, depressive symptoms can be disruptive to your day-to-day life and can even potentially take over it. So, reach out and call for help.
It’s worth saying that not because you’ll be seeing a professional means that there’s no hope or your condition is really bad. Some people see professionals just to let off some steam and recalibrate; while, some need help trying to manage negative thoughts.
The point is, not feeling like yourself is a good enough reason to seek help. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and much more common than you might think. A treatment plan can help keep your symptoms in check and better help you be at your top functionality so you can prepare actively as you wait or look for a job.
Prepare yourself for your comeback.
After some time at home, venturing out again into the world might pose a challenge. So, prepare ahead of time and work your way through it slowly.
Engage yourself in the common activities you do during your daily drive or commute to work. Slowly immersing yourself in your potential routine can help ease the potential panic you might feel when the time comes you have to head back to the workplace. On top of this, actively preparing can help combat the feeling of hopelessness as you’re able to put together an optimistic mindset by simulating what can be.
As you do this, you’ll feel your confidence slowly building up and you’ll steadily regain your self-esteem. If anything, this can even help equip you to make a lasting impression during interviews as you share your story of resilience. A winning quality of a great individual and employee.
