Unemployed? Beat Depression Before It Beats You

Depression is a major hazard in the COVID era. It’s especially dangerous to you and those you love when you're out of work.

A while ago, one of my clients just disappeared. I left voice mails and emails. No response. I wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead. After several weeks, he finally called and sheepishly said he’d been too depressed to get out of bed.

Please don't let this happen to you!

We all feel down from time to time. That’s normal.

But deep depression can immobilize you and interfere with your ability to work, read, eat, sleep, and have fun. Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness are intense and unrelenting. It can feel like there's no way out.

It's not surprising that people get depressed while unemployed, and it’s especially tough these days. There is a lot of negativity all around. Plus, in most job searches, there is one rejection after another—until you get that offer. There may be no positive feedback to keep you going. Money issues can weigh us down heavily and cause tension with spouses and kids. Plus, it's embarrassing when people ask, "What do you do?" When we're working, we're proud to talk about it, but now, we find ourselves mumbling, "Uh...I'm unemployed."

Are you doing the right things to get hired? People often feel uneasy. They’re not sure they’re doing what it takes to get hired in a tough job market. Maybe it’s been a number of years since you’ve looked for a job, and you’re finding that the rules of the game have changed.

Take these to prevent depression and to climb out of it, if you succumb. When you're unemployed, do all you can to ward it off.

Be effective First, let's address what may be the root of the depression – you don’t have a job. Make sure that you are doing the right things to get hired. Many people spend most of their time on the least effective activities, like job boards. Make sure you have a great personal presentation: resume, clothes, LinkedIn and other marketing materials and that you can speak about yourself powerfully.

Job hunting is like boxing: neither is any fun if you're not good at them. You just get beaten up. If you are not being effective, waste no time. Call a professional coach today. If you can't afford that, a number of places provide help for free or for a nominal charge. You can't afford to be ineffective.

Watch what you put in your body Eat nutritious foods; get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid substances that cause depression, including caffeine, sugar, alcohol, and aspartame (aka NutraSweet). According to Dr. Janet Star Hull, consuming aspartame can cause at least 92 serious side effects.

Watch what you put in your mind Resist the temptation to vegetate in front of the TV. Keep up to date on the news, but stay away from the standard fare of most TV news programs. You really don't need to know about every nasty comment from politicians or about all the fires, rapes, and murders in your city. If you’re hooked on social media, close your accounts or block the sites. Google Chrome has a great feature that helps you do this--and it's FREE!. Just Google "Google Chrome Site Blocker."

Read magazines and newspapers; avoid hate radio jocks. Read or listen to inspirational books and recordings. Find time to laugh. Think of the work of Norman Cousins on the healing power of laughter.

Volunteer Find a place to contribute (I know, this is harder these days). Keep your skills sharp, be around other people (or help out remotely), and get that satisfaction of a job well done that you don't experience when you're out of work.

Surround yourself with positive people Easier said than done these days. We’re stuck sitting around at home. But go for walks with friends, join a support group on Zoom, and network with others. Be sure that you don't get dragged down by negative people. You can’t afford to be around people who are continually complaining.

Get out of the house Every day, get out of the house. Enjoy nature and spend time with other human beings, to the extent that you can. You can't stay sane sitting around all by yourself.

Exercise Sitting around being sedentary isn't good for your body or your mind. At least once a day, take a walk, ride your bike, or follow some of the many YouTube programs on exercise, yoga, pilates, etc. Do something to keep active. Exercise not only makes you look and feel better, but it stimulates the production of endorphins, powerful chemicals in your body that resemble opiates in their abilities to produce a feeling of well-being. “Runners' high" is real!

Consult a doctor and/or counselor Talking with a counselor can do wonders to lift your spirits. Further, some people greatly benefit from anti-depressants. They're not for everyone, but they have helped a lot of people to kick a debilitating depression. See what your doctor says.

Keep your spirits up and keep in action. Best of luck to you--and call if you'd like to discuss your career/job search: 847-409-4660.

Steve Frederick of Lucrative Careers, Inc. has been helping people advance their careers for over 20 years. [email protected]