Unemployment Stress

I was doing my usual twitter updating when I ran across someone’s twitter that asked how people handle the emotional side of being laid-off or out of work in general. I thought that was a good place to start my blog today. Because the reality of being out of work is that there is an emotional rollercoaster just waiting to be ridden.

The unknown quantity of this rollercoaster is how big it is and how long does it last. If you are out of work for a month, then the rollercoaster is short and easy with no real twists, turns or loops. A period of unemployment of 6 months and you are riding the big boys in the rollercoaster world. And longer than 6 months it gets extreme to the point of being an astronaut and strapping yourself onto a 100 ton rocket that is going to blast you into space.

It is easy for many people to forget about this emotional side. Your friends and family will not really understand what you are experiencing. Your spouse will not totally understand even though they are going through it with you. Most likely, in fact, you will not understand what is going on inside your own head. You just know that you are liable to blow up at any moment, break down and cry the next and the rollercoaster keeps on going.

The signs of an emotional impact on your life are always there, but you need to recognize them. If you are fighting with your spouse about the stupid little things in life, then this is most likely a sign of some unemployment stress. Many times these things that you are fighting about are things you would have never fought about in the past. It is the little things that just make you blow your top.

The other side of the spectrum can also rear its ugly head. The weekend that my grandfather died was a hard one for me. It happened on a Saturday and it hit me hard at first. I, however, am not a person who dwells on bad news and it takes a lot to get me down. So, I was relatively over the loss of my grandfather by that afternoon, or so I thought. The next day, I was out and my wife called me to tell me that the Bronco’s football game did not record on my DVR. I was pissed off and I went through a 15 minute period of yelling and crying stating over and over; “All I want is to watch football on Sunday’s. That is all I ask.”

It was my own fault because I was the one who programmed the DVR, but that did not matter. I was almost hysterical because my football game did not tape. Later, I realized that all of my anger and my frustration was coming through. It was the combination of losing my grandfather, not being able to get a job and being tight on money. While most people in the same unemployed position as me will not add the trauma of losing a loved one on top of their other problems, they are still having the stress of not being employed, money is usually an issue, they have kids or a dog to care for, and they have other obligations and concerns.

No matter the number of stressors in your life, you can break down. It is normal and it should be expected. Tomorrow I will address my suggestions to alleviate some of these stressors.