Some things I do with my time

Let’s forget about job searching for a second and think about the other time you have while you are out of work. It probably feels like you shouldn’t be thinking about “having fun” – but you have to keep a balance in your life. You can’t spend all day at the computer. You will go crazy! (And probably be a less-effective job seeker)

I took a look at how I spend my time and it seems to break down into a few areas.

Hobbies:
Being out of work is a great time to start (or catch up on) a hobby. Probably something on the less expensive side (Don’t start collecting gold coins…). I personally use it as a time to work on music – writing songs, playing the guitar. A few other out of work folks have told me about their new hobbies: gardening, DJing, painting, yoga. All relatively inexpensive.

Learn Something New:
Being out of work is a great time to brush up on some old skills or learn a new one. Think of something you always wanted to learn about. One of the posts in a recent discussion talked about learning how to type. I think that’s a great idea! I started downloading podcasts from HowStuffWorks. I play them in the background instead of leaving the TV on. Pretty interesting stuff. And of course you could look at what classes are being offered at local community colleges. A lot of people are using their time out of work to take courses. You may even be able to get your classes paid for through WIA!

Physical Activity:
I wrote about this in a previous blog. Don’t forget about physical activity. Walk, job, run, do pushups – whatever gets your heart going. It will help every other aspect of life more than you can imagine. You will have more energy, more motivation, and feel more positive about your job search.

Stay in Touch:
You have some time on your hands. Use it to reconnect with people. Not for the sake of finding a job (though it can’t hurt), but to maintain your network of friends/colleagues. See where people are at in life. Email a high-school buddy or college roommate. Or someone you used to work with. If you are not the type to keep up with people on a regular basis, this is a great opportunity!

Have you picked up any new skills in your time out of work? New hobbies? Let me know!