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Duties of the Unemployed

There are things you have to do when you’re unemployed because everyone assumes you have all the free time in the world. If someone is expecting a repairman but can’t sit at home all day long, guess who gets nominated? The unemployed end up babysitting, house-sitting, pet-sitting, you name it. When my in-laws go on vacation, I check their house and get their newspaper daily. I put their trash out on Tuesdays and play their lottery numbers while they’re gone.

Once my sister-in-law, who is a teacher, called and asked for a volunteer to work at a book fair at her school. It didn’t pay anything and was a whole day’s work. I said I’d do it, and you know what, I was happy to do it.

I’m happy to do all of it! Because it’s a break from job searching and it’s something to do! It’s not that I’m not doing anything. I wake up, have my coffee, drive my husband to work, go for a run, eat breakfast, and then I start job search mode. I check all the job search websites; I borrow newspapers from family members (who can afford a subscription when you’re not making any money?); I review my resume; I compose query letters to prospective employers. So that takes a couple hours, and there is no reward for it. It feels like a constant rejection. I rarely get phone calls or responses from all my work, and it’s frustrating.

What else is there to do during the day? You can’t go shopping, no money, remember? I’d feel guilty to be out doing something non-productive. It’s easy to get depressed when you’re unemployed. Besides my daily routine, the only other thing on my calendar is a reminder to file for unemployment compensation every other Sunday.

But you can’t just sit at home all day long. That can lead to feelings of despair, boredom, and depression, or even worse, addiction to daytime television ala Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom. I’ve found the only way to steer clear of the draw of daytime television is to get rid of your tv altogether, or at least just cable/satellite service. Of course with television shows streaming through Netflix or the internet, it gets harder to resist. I’ll admit to the occasional reality tv spree. I’m a sucker for shows about hoarders, apparently.

How many times can you clean your house, too? You’d think my house would be spotless with all the time I’ve spent not working, but it’s not. I find that when I’m paid to clean, I feel much more motivated to do it. My house actually gets messier when I’m unemployed because I spend all my time there.

So I’m happy when someone asks me to help fix their computer or to help them move or to drive someone to a doctor appointment. It makes me feel useful and productive, and breaks up the monotonous disappointment of job hunting. I might not get paid for them, but I’m learning that money isn’t everything. Sure, it can make life seem a little easier, but really, it’s the feeling useful that’s important. I need a job because I need to make a living, of course. But more importantly, I need the work itself to keep my sanity.