What To Do If You're In Between Jobs

The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.
Stephen R. Covey

Unemployment gives you time to do your other passions and to set goals.

WHETHER IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE or a setback caused by the economy and other entities outside our control, finding ourselves unemployed (especially over an extended period) can give us feelings of insecurity, boredom and self-doubt. Now that we are no longer crunching at a fast-paced 8-to-5 job we've had for several years, our usual checklist of things to do has turned into a measly lineup of Netflix movies to watch and grocery items to buy, while our mobile calendars have become so empty except for those dental appointments we dread going to. And these can be unnerving.
I recently got married to my husband who is an expat, and I am now on my third continent. Moving to different countries has definitely enlarged my network and increased my appreciation of various cultures, but it has also made it a little bit harder for me to get settled in and join the workforce immediately. What helps me get by is believing that the time I have at the moment gives me the best opportunity to exercise creativity, initiate growth and identify goals.

Here are some of the things we can do to maximize our free time and stay productive.

Rest and Create
Now is the right time to slow down and do the things we had no time for while still employed. That could be as simple as sitting down in a local coffee shop to finish a novel or as complex as re-modeling a house. We can also use the down time to get a creative recharge by producing art. It doesn't matter whether you're a talented painter, a novice photographer or just a DIY-maker. What matters is you are able to exercise creativity, because the more we use our creativity, the more we become creative.

Stay Healthy
While staying up late and being couch potatoes seem like an irresistible idea while we wait for that next job offer, we know better than that. Use the time to rest and relax but not to become completely immobile. Staying fit through exercise is beneficial to both our physical and mental health. According to Dr. John Ratey, associate clinical professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, "Exercise also stimulates brain regions that are involved in memory function to release a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF rewires memory circuits so they work better." Perhaps now is a good time for us to use that gym membership card that's been collecting dust on our night stand.

Disconnect to Connect
Staying away from social media for a while not only protects us from potential Facebook envy  but also in a way forces us to connect with friends in a more personal and deeper level. I personally use this time to meet new people in our neighborhood and hang out with relatives and friends by organizing small parties and home dinners. By doing so, we increase our network not of merely casual acquaintances or online friends but of authentic, living people who actually care about us.

Study and Learn
Additional skills and certification will always get us ahead in a competitive job market. A survey conducted online by Harris Interactive, on behalf of CareerBuilder reveals that 61% percent of the hiring managers interviewed recommended taking a class during a period of unemployment. Plan your next career move and take classes in line with the position you are eyeing. There are quite a number of learning institutions and universities that provide free online courses like Coursera that can help us keep our skills current. Local libraries also offer some language classes and personal development courses that can be really useful.

Look Within
Take time to obtain inventory of your accomplishments, strengths and competencies. Losing a job does not equate to losing one's identity. We are more than the sum of the positions we had in our previous workplaces. Reminding ourselves about that will remove the pressure we subject ourselves to and give us tremendous relief. Instead of worrying, use the time to really know yourself and what you want to do next. We should also take the opportunity to set short and long-term goals (career or life in general) and identify steps to make them happen.

Look Without
Not surprisingly, you are not the center of the universe. The rest of the world has its own problems and there are a lot of needs to be met. Offering ourselves to a bigger cause can add more meaning and joy to our lives. We can treat this down time as a great chance to volunteer and help the community. On top of that, volunteering can also lead us to our next job. A study conducted by US's Corporation for National and Community Service finds that "unemployed individuals who volunteer over the next year have 27% higher odds of being employed at the end of the year than non-volunteers."

What about you, what were the activities you invested your time in when you were in between jobs?