Brett Dills

My Unemployed Life October 5, 2009

There are three things about being unemployed that I did not expect.

One, is that being out of work is mind crushingly boring.  While it may be bad enough to be stuck behind a computer for eight hours a day in an office, doing the same thing at home is even worse. And when I have some free time, I don’t want to spend a lot of money, so I tend to stay home a lot.

Second, is the feeling of isolation.  I really don’t have many people to talk to like I did when I was working.  My situation is a little different in that my wife works nights and sleeps through the day.  So, I have to be very quiet so that she can get some sleep.  I also have to keep quiet so I don’t wake up our dog, who in turn will wake up my wife.  I am by myself most of the time.  I have to force myself to get out of the house sometimes, even if it is just to go grab something to eat or to walk around Costco for a while.  I also go over to my local WorkOne office to use their cubicles to work.  I also joined a job seekers club in Zionsville, which has been a tremendous help to me.

And third, is that it is very easy to get side tracked when looking for a job.  I sometimes find myself surfing the internet, playing with the dog, or doing housework when I really should be job searching.  This is one of the tougher obstacles in my life right now.  This is another reason why I try to get out of the house to work.  I try to force myself into a daily routine, but I’m not always successful.

But, hey, everyday is casual Friday.  I guess there is a bright side to everything.