by Jane Fazackarley

Created on: August 28, 2011   Last Updated: February 27, 2012

Losing your job is difficult at any time, and with the effects of the recession and poor economic growth still influencing the jobs market finding work is even more of a challenge.  I can speak from experience when I say that no longer having a regular income brings a whole host of stress with it, which makes it hard not to get bogged down with all of the negatives that come with becoming unemployed or being made redundant.

It can be hard to be positive when things seem to be going against you however it is important to keep yourself from falling into a negative attitude when it comes to searching for work.

Rather than being negative you need to find ways to help you defeat that kind of attitude, which can be easy to fall into, or pretty soon the ‘there-is no point-applying-for-that-job-because-I-won’t-get-it’ mentality can take over and it soon becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy

Keeping yourself occupied will give you less time to dwell on your situation and having something practical to do will help give you some focus.  Perhaps start by taking the time to look through your finances, cancel all of the direct debits and subscriptions that you don’t really need, look at your food bills and see where you can save money there.  See if you can find a cheaper gas, electric and phone suppliers etc.

When you are unemployed it is a good time to reassess your skills.  Write down all of the things that you are good at and all of the things that you’d like to do, this will help keep you focused and should open new avenues for you in your job search. Drawing up a list of all of the things you are good at and are capable of doing makes you feel good and keeps you from feeling negative.

Another issue with becoming unemployed is that you don’t have a regular routine anymore.  Try some volunteer work.  The volunteer option is good if you are looking for a different career as this can help you develop new skills and sometimes job opportunities do open up this way.  Volunteering also means that you are out with people and this helps keep your mood positive.

Networking is important to help overcome a negative mentality when it comes to looking for work as well.  In the UK there are job clubs that will help you in your search to find a job.  They will give advice on writing CV’s, interviews etc., which is especially useful if you’ve been in the same job for many years, and you’ll be mixing with people who are in the same situation as you are. 

Another way to defeat a negative attitude is to develop a hobby or find a new one.  It gives you something else to concentrate on and could even turn into a potential business.  A new business could also be a very real possibility.  Many people who have lost their jobs have gone on to build a business -something that they wouldn’t have the time or chance to do if they were still in employment.

Becoming unemployed is a difficult situation for anyone and it can be disheartening and dispiriting but by following some of the advice above it should help you keep focused, determined and positive.

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