As many of you already know, I was recently laid off from a job I loved. The store closed, and the other locations were too far away for me to work at any of them. Therefore, I am finding myself in a really weird emotional place. I'm relieved, I'm devastated, I'm delighted with the extra time, I'm pissed off, I'm grateful. If you have ever been through a layoff, or job loss of any kind, this may sound familiar. If you haven't, keep reading, because it could happen to you at any time. Or at the very least, you might be able to help someone you know who is going through this. Here's some things you can do to get your life and your mental state back to its normal position.
- Bubble Baths. I have rediscovered the bathtub in my house. It's huge, and it's a pain in the ass to clean, but it is absolutely luxurious when it is filled with hot soapy water. Candles also help. You really only need one, I know the above picture has several but it's not necessary, one will do. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "I've got three kids, I can't lounge in the tub for an hour!" If you have kids, there are two ways to get this done without going batshit crazy, which would, of course, defeat the entire purpose. Depending on their ages, obviously. You can wait until another adult is home to watch over them. You can threaten them with no internet if they disturb you for no good reason ("If you disturb me while I am in the bathtub, the house better be on fire, or someone needs to be bleeding"). Or you can just put on headphones. What's nice about doing this when you're laid off is that you can have a glorious bath at 1 pm if you want to.
- Books. Not into reading? GET INTO READING. If you can't read a book for any reason, there are audiobooks. Audiobooks are excellent for listening to while you are doing something else. If you are one of those people who has bookcases full of books that have never been read, read them. In the bathtub if you want to! Just don't suffer through something you're not interested in. If a book sucks, no one ever said you had to finish it. Just don't tell the author, that's rude.Maybe you think there's a book inside you, just so desperate to get out and into the world. Why not try? The hardest part is getting started, but you can do that anywhere, anytime. Keep a notebook of ideas because you WILL forget them. And it doesn't matter if your writing is terrible, only you will see it until you choose to share it. It might feel good to just vent about everything, and in that case, a journal is a good idea.
- Exercise. You don't need a gym membership to get into exercising, although I love my gym! YouTube has a million free workouts, as do apps like FitOn. Nothing cures a bad mood like a good workout. If you're annoyed about your layoff, a good hard workout will blow your brains out and take the bad mood with it. If you're happy about the layoff, why not celebrate what your body can do, now that you have time? You won't regret it. Also an nice early morning or evening walk can be lovely.
- Cook. This one doesn't work for me because I have no patience in the kitchen. But you aren't me. Many people seem to have recipes that they want to try, but are way too tired when they come home from work to do it. Or there isn't enough time, because some kid of yours has to be on a baseball diamond across town in 20 minutes, or a skating arena, or what have you. Now is the time. You don't have to use the slow cooker to get a decent meal on the table. On the other hand, if your kids are into it, they can help you in the kitchen because some days there will be no rush. They are way more likely to eat what they help cook. It's a good life skill anyway - you don't want to send someone off to post-secondary school not knowing how to do anything except heat up chicken nuggets. Not that it happened to me...
- Find something to get excited about. Looking for a new job can be a frustrating and humiliating experience. Consider a home business instead. Yes, it will cost you some money, but there is something so exhilarating about becoming your own boss. There is no such thing as starting a business without investment. It will save you money too - no commute, no special clothing, no shoes! Look for something you like, be it network marketing for a product you love, making your own jewellery, consulting, or digital marketing. Whatever. You have to find it interesting and appealing to you, otherwise it won't work, and you may as well get another job working for someone you don't like. You don't have to change the world, just a little side business is all you need to get you engaged enough to make it worthwhile. If you want to change the world, go for it! I have two at home businesses. Both of them are successful, interesting and make money for me and my family. Links are below for you to take a look. If neither of them appeal to you, don't worry, the are hundreds of other opportunities out there.
- Revel in it. You're free now. Your life is yours and you can do whatever you choose.
Two amazing at-home businesses:
