As the novel coronavirus continues to spread and lockdown measures remain in place, cutbacks across sectors have led to high rates of unemployment. The stress of unemployment, coupled with the fear of contracting the virus and worries regarding your financial capability to meet basic needs can also seriously affect your mental health. Furthermore, as uncertainty still looms around how the current scenario might progress it may take some time for companies to start hiring again. So if you have recently lost your job as a result of the coronavirus and are experiencing stress because of this, don’t wait to address the situation or try to brush it off as something unimportant. This could make matters worse, and often lead you to make decisions you may regret later. Instead, here are some things you can do to deal with the stress caused by job loss in a healthy way.

1. Don’t forget to give yourself time to grieve

Grief is a natural response to loss, and this includes job-loss. Losing your job doesn’t just mean you lose a steady income and your professional identity; it also means losing your daily routine, self-confidence, a feeling of purpose, friends and other networks from the workplace, and other such essential features of maintaining a normal well-functioning life. This can be difficult to face and it may feel like you are losing control, but it is important that you go through the emotions. While many people think that feeling less signifies moving on, acknowledging these emotions instead of running away from them is the first step towards coping with them appropriately. 

2. Accept the ground realities and focus on things you can control

After having gone through the grieving process you need to remind yourself of what the ground realities are, and accept the present situation. Realise that the job loss may be due to no fault of your own and much of the stress and anxiety has to do with the uncertainties around the coronavirus and how things may progress. Since this can be overwhelming, try to focus your attention on things you can control. Maintain a positive attitude towards the situation, by reminding yourself that this period of unemployment does not define the rest of your life. Structure your finances, by budgeting your spending and cutting back on unnecessary expenses. The sooner you accept the current reality and start making a feasible plan of action, the easier it becomes to move on.

3. Develop a routine and don’t forget to exercise

When you lose your job, you lose your daily routine; and this leads to a sense of purposelessness. So to make up for the fact that work doesn’t govern your day anymore, you need to establish a routine so that you don’t feel perplexed. Research shows that developing a routine and following structured activities can help regulate your mood and keep depression at bay. Set aside a designated amount of time for job search, so that you don’t get worked up by thinking about your unemployment all day. An important point to factor into your schedule is some time for exercise, as it reduces stress levels and triggers the release of endorphins that reduce pain and boost pleasure; these result in a general feeling of well being.

4. Take up a hobby and learn something new

Don’t let all the extra time you have go to waste by dwelling on the fact that you are unemployed. Instead, take advantage of all the time that you have and take up a hobby or use it towards growing your knowledge base. Apart from keeping you pre-occupied, indulging in a hobby and learning new skills can also benefit your quest for employment, by expanding your capacities as an individual.

One last thing to remember is to get outside help, from friends, family or a professional, if necessary. This is because the chaos of the current situation on top of the emotions you are going through can hamper your ability to make coherent plans and informed decisions. 

So keeping these tips in mind, dealing with job loss and unemployment stress can become easier for you.

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise”

– Kobe Bryant