SUCCESSFULLY UNEMPLOYED: TIP 5

Hello! Hello! I'm back with another tip for all of the unemployed folks out there! This one is a great one if you are starting to get cabin fever and it is to…

CONNECT

Introvert or Extrovert, people do well when they are with other people.

Humans are social animals. Some more so than others. So in order to establish who you are you have to make an appearance, make your name and presence known. You don't have to be everywhere or do everything. Actually, you probably shouldn't even attempt that. Just choose wisely and have faith that the people you meet, you are meant to meet.

You will find that not only will connecting with people be good for possibly a job connection, but it also helps you practice talking about yourself and really listening and getting to know others.

Since I had no choice but to meet new people because I was new to the state, I bravely put myself out there. I turned to places like Instagram, I followed local hashtags and then I emailed some people with shared interests to see if they wanted to meet. That might sound scary, but to be totally honest, I've had nothing but great results from being friendly.

I also joined a few professional design groups in my area through AIGA Minnesota so I could meet others in my field. That has been majorly helpful for getting a sense of the creative culture in my area.

Finally, I enrolled in an online class! I love being able to meet and collaborate with people face to face but connecting online has been rewarding too, I think that's because you already have something in common with your fellow classmates, the subject you're learning together!

I joined the winter class of Life with Intention Online and I loved it. I was even able to meet some local girls who were also taking the class.

Since that class wrapped up, I'm now taking Marie Forleo's b-school and I'll be taking Hilary Rushford's class Elegance Excellence after that! The communities that are built into these courses were a huge pro when I was deciding on if I should take these classes. 

No matter how social you think you are, it is beneficial to just try going to at least one event a month. Think of it as an opportunity and know that so many people want to connect with others too. If you are nice to others, it is almost a sure thing that you will feel it coming back to you!

Now get out there and meet some rad people! Or connect with an old friend!

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Do you have any examples of times when you put yourself out there and it went well maybe even in the face of fear or new people? Also, if you have an off night, don't take it personally. It almost never has anything to do with who you are!

See you tomorrow with tip #6! It's my favorite of all of them and I do it every single day :)

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Intro | tip 1 | tip 2 | tip 3 | tip 4

SUCCESSFULLY UNEMPLOYED: TIP 4

Hello and welcome to tip #4 on how to be successfully unemployed! This one is truly a service, it could be a hard one for you to swallow, but hear me out…

CLEAN

I took on 99% of the cleaning and operations of the household when I didn't have an office to go to every day.

This was because I had the time and I didn't mind doing it.

I didn't do every thing every day, I made a rotating schedule and I tried to stick to it.

The way I saw It was that it was my own way of substantially contributing to the home Christopher and I share.

During this time I had a lot of resistance pop up as I noticed myself taking on the cleaning and cooking, I could almost feel all of the 'modern woman' of today roll their eyes at me acting subservient to my husband.

In reality, no one anywhere was rolling their eyes and the only people I would be hurting by letting the dishes remain unwashed was my husband and me. 

This change of heart is a perfect example of ignoring the ego and doing what needs to be done anyway. If you find yourself in a similar situation, feeling resistant, a great way to check-in with yourself is by asking 'if I lived on my own, would I be responsible for this?'

For anyone who is currently unemployed, I want you to try not to look at doing the cooking and cleaning as punishment or pointless chores. This is a hard one because a lot of people have negative associations with these tasks from their childhood. 

I would instead challenge you to look at doing this kind of work as a service, or adding a different kind of value to your current situation. The great thing is that these tasks have tangible results when you are done.

I'm also pretty sure that you will feel awesome. Don't do it for the reward of praise, do it because it is for something that is greater than you.

In my own experience, when I am cleaning and cooking it can be another opportunity to clear the mind and focus on one distinct task. If it helps, use nice soap and put your favorite music on.

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I hope this tip didn't scare you off!

I hope it helped you feel really great about doing the laundry and making dinner. Know that if you are looking for another job that you don't need to keep doing all the housework when you get a new job. Things can and probably will change!

I'm really excited to share the next tip with you! It made the biggest impact on me during this time.

See you tomorrow!!!

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Intro | tip 1 | tip 2 | tip 3

SUCCESSFULLY UNEMPLOYED: TIP 3

Greetings! I hope you well and I hope you enjoyed hearing how podcasts and meditation have helped me and can help you too! Now get pumped up for tip #3, which is…

EXERCISE

Physical activity is a powerful stress reliever

IF you are doing something you enjoy.

Even if it's just walking outside. No matter what it is, if your body is moving, you're doing it right!

Of course, a great side effect to exercise is becoming stronger and healthier, but I think the best reason to move that body is for the endorphins! Something I noticed when I was't working was that on days where I didn't move much I felt generally more tired and less motivated. The endorphins you get from just taking a short walk are the perfect fuel when you are trying to find a job, trying to launch that new business or just trying to figure out what to have for dinner that night.

Another side effect that comes from exercise is having a clear mind. Much like meditation, I hear a lot of runners say that they like running because it's their time to turn the brain off. I think this mental state applies to any form of exercise. 

Personally, I like yoga, group fitness classes and walking. They all afford me time to concentrate on what I'm doing in the present moment only. If you enjoy yoga too or are just curious about it, I highly recommend Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube. I love her philosophy of 'find what feels good' and the way she fits together mental and physical wellness. Group fitness can be a great way to be around people, most gyms offer public classes, but if you want to just try a bunch of things, try Class Pass. I haven't tried it myself, but the concept sounds great! In the case of walking, if you find yourself getting distracted easily, it's a great chance to listen to a podcast.

No matter how you love to exercise, it will love you right back. If you haven't found an exercise that you feel happy with, try something new. Not everyone is going to love running or yoga, but I think there is something out there for everyone.

Also, don't think for a second that you have to exercise every day or you're a failure. Add in where you can. Be kind to yourself, treat exercise as a fun activity, not like work.

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Sooooo what exercises to you like to do? What ones would you like to try? Have you noticed yourself feeling better on days when you do choose to exercise?

I hope today's tip helped you to think differently about exercise and how it can help you.

Get ready for tomorrow's piece of advice. It's major. Possibly controversial…

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Intro | tip 1 | tip 2 

SUCCESSFULLY UNEMPLOYED: TIP 2

Hello again! After yesterday's post about podcasts, let's shift gears to…

MEDITATION

Meditation usually sounds like one of two things depending on who you talk to, either…

Really boring and sort of pointless

or

Really difficult

At its core, meditation is basically sitting in silence without thought. 

It can sounds like a waste of time because you aren't doing anything.

It's also difficult because we humans are encouraged to think alllllllll the time. Giving the noggin a break is not easy for anyone. I think it's even more difficult to do when you are in the middle of something very challenging or stressful, like not having a job… 

BUT that's why it's so important! 

Meditation encourages your mind to stop running in circles, replaying old struggles or projecting needless worry. Freaking out, panicking or feeling sorry for yourself are only damaging, not motivating. 

The point of meditation isn't the silence, the point is to to let your brain rest and free yourself of thought. A lot of people, myself included (I am always working on this), think that when thoughts creep in, which they will, means the effort is a failure. You can NEVER fail during meditation, ever. 

The fact that you will even notice when you have thoughts come in, is enough. Like most things, the more you practice, the better you will get.

I was introduced to meditation in a college holistic heath class where the first 10 minutes of each class was dedicated to this practice, led by the professor. A lot of my classmates hated it. I love it, but was also frustrated by it. It seemed so easy, but it wasn't. I picked it up again after listening to many podcasters and my favorite YouTubers describe how it changed their life. Their passion reminded me of that time in college when I was so fascinated by it. Since reintroducing meditation to my life, it has become easier for me to calm down from being upset, nervous or overly excited. It's all thanks to the self-awareness that's found in meditation.

If you're a beginner, start small, meditating for one minute a day, then build from there when you want. A lot of people do it two times a day (morning and evening) for 10 minute sessions. I try to do it once a day for 5 minutes. Sometimes I don't do it at all, meditating is a practice that I'm still working on. 

You don't need special clothes or pillows, just a place to sit comfortably. The only recommendation I do have is to try not to meditate in bed, you might get too cozy and fall asleep.

Here are my recommendations for meditating
Vipassanā meditation
Headspace meditation app
Visualization - My personal favorite after trying many other techniques… I ask myself where I am and then I silently describe to myself what I see in my mind. It almost always involves walking or being in nature, like the desert, mountains, forest, or beach by myself. I describe the light, the air quality, what the sun feels like, the smell. The interesting thing is that it's always a different experience, sometimes the same place (it's almost never a place I've actually been to either), but the details change, like the weather, time of day, etc. When I am done, my mind feels like it just had a vacation.

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Let me know if you meditate and how you do it. If you are just getting started, enjoy it and let me know what you think!

Tomorrow I'm sharing tip #3 which is a new perspective on an old piece of advice!

See you then!

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Intro | tip 1 

SUCCESSFULLY UNEMPLOYED: TIP 1

Hellooooo! And welcome to the first successfully unemployed tip, which is…

PODCASTS

I chose this as my number 1 tip for a reason!

Podcasts are FREE bits of juicy information that you can listen to while doing other things.

I listen to podcasts while I'm washing the dishes, drawing, walking around town, even while I take a shower (thanks to a waterproof bluetooth speaker). You can easily listen to them in the car too.

Because I'm just about the worst at multi-taksing successfully I have never done well with tv or videos as my background noise, but for some reason podcasts are completely different for me.

When I add a podcast to my surroundings I feel so much more support, which is especially helpful to fight off imposter syndrome and what-the-hell-am-I-doing-with-my-life syndrome during unemployment. Podcasts can pep you up, teach you something, make you laugh, and make you feel less alone, all while you are doing other things.

The podcasts I've been most attracted to have been ones that focus on anything relating to my livelihood. I would recommend anyone to do the same who is looking for their next step in their career. It will help you stay informed on what's going on in your target market. For me, I devoured podcasts about design, art and business. I also love shows that focus on health and well being. Not only is that an interest of mine, but it did help to reframe what is important in life instead of focusing on everything I didn't have while I was jobless.

Here are my favorite podcasts
The Lively Show
Smart Passive Income
Creative Pep Talk
Seanwes Podcast
99 percent invisible

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Do you have a favorite podcast right now? What kind of value does it add to your life?

I can't wait to share more with you tomorrow! :)

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Intro