8 Things To Do When You’re Jobless

Being jobless is one of those things that's equal parts awesome and terrifying. Awesome because you have no job and can sleep in, terrifying because money runs out (unless you're in the incredibly privileged position of having some kind of unlimited financial resource). There will probably be periods of employment and periods of unemployment in every person's life. I know I've had my fair share of being both "fun-employed" and "omg-what-am-I-going-to-do-to-make-rent-maybe-I-can-sell-my-kickers-on-craigslist?-employed". They are both exactly as they sound.

No matter what the circumstances of being jobless, your best option is always to "make the most of it". You know the saying: "When life gives you lemons, suck on them because you're a hard ass and you're the arbiter of your own destiny." Or something like that. More inspirational proverbs include the Chinese one where the same word for disaster means opportunity, and something about a door closing and a window opening, which is probably going to make you look like a burglar but you have to get in and out somehow, right? Being unemployed, as much as it is a blessing and a curse, is the best time to get some serious shit done, like the following:

1. Look for a job

The most productive, sensible, adult thing to do while being unemployed is look for a job. As I've heard real life grown-ups say, "Looking for a job is a full time job!" Sheesh! LOL! What will they say next? Once you've done all the job searching you can (because you're a responsible and contributing member of society), consider the following:

2. Binge watch TV

It's not going to binge watch itself, after all. Watch everything there is to watch, and listen in smug contempt as your employed friends whine about how they've got no time to "catch up on TV" because of their jobs and laugh as they cover their ears and shout, "No spoilers!" every time you bring up a show they're behind on. You just became the master of everyone's destiny.

3. Get a hobby

But not an insane one. I mean, don't go making popsicle stick photo frames and covering them in macaroni and glitter and giving them to your friends because people WILL try to get you professional help. (Great, one more person with a job to judge your life choices. That's all you need.) Take up something like reading, cooking, salsa, carpentry, survivalism or whatever else it is your little jobless heart desires.

4. Learn something

Use your unemployment to enrich yourself. Learn a language. Learn to code. Learn to sew. There are online courses for everything these days, so you don't even need to move out of the fart cloud you've created for yourself on your couch since being jobless. You might even learn something that will get you a job!

5. Exercise

Speaking of bettering yourself, spend your free time exercising. Any day now, you could get a demanding job and not have any time at all to hit the treadmill or the yoga mat and you'll have to go back to being a sluggish, over-caffeinated worker-bee.

6. Travel

Depending on what your cash situation is (maybe you're sitting on some savings?), being jobless is a great time to be aimless too. Go backpack somewhere exotic before you're back in the business of one week's annual vacation time that you're obliged to use to go home for Christmas.

7. Volunteer

All jokes aside, if you're financially stable and have spare time, volunteering is one of the best and most rewarding ways to spend your free hours. And if "helping other people" isn't compelling to you, you'll certainly be helping yourself because you'll be able to feel all superior and warm inside about doing a good deed.

8. Relax

If you're in the position where being employed again is inevitable, then just relax. You might be scraping pennies together for a while, and watching every dollar you spend, but if you're in the privileged position of being hirable and having the skills required to seek and gain employment, then don't stress so much about your down time. As above, use it as impetus to better yourself, and be productive in ways you might miss out on when you are employed.

Images: NBC; Giphy (4)