Dealing with unemployment and financial pressures

Hi All,

This blog is going to address how we can help ourselves to deal with unemployment and financial pressures that are causing stress.

We have already seen the preparations that are going on in all the shops and shopping centres for xmas, places adorned with elaborate xmas decorations, everybody advertising the xmas party menus; it goes on and on and it seems to start earlier each year. In many ways this can feel a little surreal as there is an atmosphere of celebration which many people don't feel a part of.  We can find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of it all and for many people it adds to the pressure they find themselves already under.  So I thought it might be a good idea to step away from all this pressure and excitement and explore how people can help themselves to get through this "festive season", while they are struggling with some very real difficulties like unemployment and financial pressures.

People who are unemployed at the moment are dealing with financial pressures and that is without a doubt.  However it's not just people who are unemployed that find themsevles dealing with financial pressures; even people who are in jobs are now finding themselves struggling to meet their financial commitments, struggling to pay bills from month to month.  Look at the latest figures for people who are struggling to pay their mortgages.

Firstly let's look at unemployment:
The affects of unemployment can feel devastating.  For many a job gives a purpose to their life, they may have spent years working in their particular job, trained, gone to college whatever it took to get there but at some level commitment, sacrifices and time and energy will have been involved.  A person's sense of self can be strongly connected to their career and job.  Having a job also provides that peace of mind that there will be a certain amount of money coming in to pay your bills each week or month.  So when this is taken away it can feel like our world has been turned upside down.

Financial Pressures
So many people are impacted by financial pressures so remember you are not alone in this.  Don't be afraid to look for support.  Talk over the impact and the struggles with family and friends, everybody will be affected so everybody will have to make adjustments.  Knowing where you can make savings is vitally important, prioritising and budgeting are essential.  Financial pressures can be a huge source of stress, so knowing how to understand and manage your stress is a very necessary skill in helping you to help yourself through this difficult time.

How can you help yourself:
Try not to let it overwhelm you - remember your strengths, remember when you have dealt with other crises in the past, what got you through those tough times before and try and get in touch with that resilient side of yourself. Don't give up; work on your motivation and know and understand what de-motivates you and learn now to challenge de-motivators.

When we lose something we naturally go into a process of mourning, this includes things like job loss and coping with a different lifestyle.  What really helps is to know that you are in this process and that there are things within this that you can control and things that you can't. Your self-care is one thing that you can control. Remember that your abilities and talents are still yours and remember and value what you have to offer. It may be a time when you can start looking at different courses or training to develop your skills further or maybe you might be interested in taking up another career altogether.

Here are some tips:

• Look after yourself, keep a structure on your day.
• Exercise
• Eat a healthy diet
• Look for support
• Set goals for yourself
• Spend time with family and friends
• Get involved in your community
• Understand your emotions and get support
• If you are struggling with finances get support
• Keep your sense of humour
• Value and appreciate the positive things you do have in your life

 A great website I came across recently with some great tips on surviving unemployment has some good clear advice and I would definitely recommend having a look: http://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section1/scenarios/unemployment.html

http://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section1/scenarios/unemployment.html

Rhttp://www.broadcaster.org.uk/section1/scenarios/unemployment.html