07 Oct How to deal with downtime when looking for a new job

Unemployment is on the rise, and if you are currently looking for a new job, it can be difficult to stay motivated. Although you may be tempted to sleep the day away or spend it watching Netflix box sets, you’ll probably end up regretting wasting all the spare time you have. Although you are not working, there are plenty of other activities you can enjoy to pass your time. These are some ways to spend your downtime when looking for work.

Spend Time with Family and Friends

Take advantage of the free time by spending more time with your family, where possible. The more time you spend with your family, the better you will feel. It can be easy to slip into a negative mindset when you are looking for work but try to switch off and enjoy the time you have with those important to you. It is also a good time to reconnect with friends. Make sure the people you surround yourself with are going to lift your mood, not make you feel worse.

Restrict Social Media

Social media can have its plus points, but it can also be one of the worst ways to spend your downtime. It can be easy to get caught up in browsing social media platforms for hours on end, without achieving anything in the end. Make sure you restrict your use of social media, even use a timer if you need to. An hour a day is more than enough time to spend on it. Social media is also known to negatively affect people’s moods and mental wellbeing, so it is best to be aware of this and mindful of your usage.

Set a Routine

One of the many causes of procrastination when people are out of work is failing to set a routine. If you don’t have a routine, every hour just morphs into the next, and you can easily end up achieving nothing in your day. Your routine should include time for job searching, social tasks and improving your knowledge and skills. If you have a routine, you will be motivated to get up in the morning.

Learn New Skills

This is the perfect opportunity to enhance the skills you have or learn some new ones. There are lots of free courses out there or academies you can join where you can access a range of different courses. It is important to keep learning, especially when you are out of work. Not only will this help you secure a new job; it will also fill a gap on your CV. A gap on your CV won’t seem so bad if you can explain to the employer that you have been doing other productive tasks.

Exercise

Spend time exercising both your mind and your body. This will enhance your mood and will also allow you to come out of your downtime with a healthier body and mind. Reading and meditation are both good ways to enhance your mental wellbeing. It is important to exercise both areas.

Practice Mindfulness

As much as it is important to take action and ensure you keep taking steps to find a new job, it is also a good idea to practice mindfulness. Instead of constantly worrying about the future, live in the here and now. Your situation may not be great at the moment, but it will change and turn around. Just as all good things come to an end, so do all bad things! Thinking about the future is important but worrying about it is not going to offer anything useful to your situation.