My new routine

poorgrad

Hi guys,

Apologies for the length... I thought that I was doing pretty well but now I am beginning to slip into depression. Not being able to get a 2nd job or even a better job is really getting me down. I have applied for more than 30 jobs in the last month with only 2 interviews. I had one on Wednesday for Office Administrator and was told today that I didn't get it. They said they would call to let me know so I spent all of yesterday and today staring at the phone to be hit with 'we regret, blah blah' email.

My daily routine is now: get up at 6AM-7AM and spend all morning in my pyjamas looking for jobs online. At around midday I will shower and get dressed then spend the entire afternoon looking for jobs. Around 4PM-5PM I will try to go to sleep because the stress of looking online is just eating away at me. Then I will get up and go back online about 6PM-7PM to see if I have received any emails for interviews etc. Then I will spend the entire night worrying about the future and go to bed about 2AM. At no point does food come into the equation.

Am I the only one living my life like this??

teambathmat

It depresses me reading that!

Why not get up and dressed in a suit for 9am armed with 50 copies of your CV and go round dropping them off at offices etc.

Staying in your P'J's till midday isnt going to do your state of mind anygood.

Lollypop75

I haven't been going quite that way, but I'm finding it demoralising as well.

Aside from the looking for jobs stuff, which is hard and lots of people here will give good advice, but it's still going to be hard, maybe you should try to do some exercise each day? I just found out my local library has Tai Chi classes once a week for only £2, so I will be trying that. Or maybe just going for a walk or something? And you should definitely eat!!

poorgrad

Troy_Verll wrote: »

So you need to have a nap by dinnertime because you feel you've worked so hard surfing the internet and staring at a phone?

Just out of interest, what did you do before you became unemployed? Maybe I can offer some advice.

I don't nap because I feel that i've worked hard. I go to sleep because I am depressed after applying for jobs all day long and being rejected or not getting a response. I have a part time job already and I used to do lots of overtime whilst I was studying for my MSc. I've just finished my MSc and got a 2:1 but now there's no overtime.

poorgrad

teambathmat wrote: »

It depresses me reading that!

Why not get up and dressed in a suit for 9am armed with 50 copies of your CV and go round dropping them off at offices etc.

Staying in your P'J's till midday isnt going to do your state of mind anygood.

Thanks for the advice. Do you think that companies would take CV's via this method? I've never tried it before. I'm also a little bit sceptical over people abusing my personal details because scam companies have been obtaining my details via Monster and Total Jobs - so I made my CV private.

poorgrad

Lollypop75 wrote: »

I haven't been going quite that way, but I'm finding it demoralising as well.

Aside from the looking for jobs stuff, which is hard and lots of people here will give good advice, but it's still going to be hard, maybe you should try to do some exercise each day? I just found out my local library has Tai Chi classes once a week for only £2, so I will be trying that. Or maybe just going for a walk or something? And you should definitely eat!!

Thanks. To be honest I can't even afford the £2 because I am beginning to get really short of cash now and every penny counts. Going for a walk is a good idea. I just feel that I could be missing out if I move from my computer which is why I stick to it all day.

Lollypop75

Apart from the fact that doing a little bit of exercise might make you feel better, it also probably means that you will be fresher when you go back to your computer. That would mean that any applications you complete after that are better!

Sorry, I hope you don't feel like I'm telling you what to do. But I suffer from depression myself, and have done for a number of years. The thing that's helped me over the last few months is really looking after myself.

poorgrad

Troy_Verll wrote: »

Well if it's a depressing routine - change the routine. Some free activities:

-Running
-Walking
-Meeting friends
-Playing football
-Reading
-Write a short story
-Self-taught martial art/yoga
-Learn a musical instrument (I purchased a keyboard a few years ago. You can get one cheap. I'm not amazing by any stretch of the imagination but I can play some interesting pieces and I find it relaxing)
-Charity work
-Preaching (if you're so inclined)

There's thousands of things you can do at no expense to change your routine. You have to have a positive outlook. You're going to get into a vicious cycle of depression and lose all motivation. Next thing you're living of benefits forever and will wonder why you wasted your life.

Find a business that you're interested in working for. Ring them up, tell them you want some work experience. Take things from there. If you don't go on to get full time employment, then at least you have added some meat onto your CV.

The other option is to give loads of excuses as to why this won't work and then inevitably, it never will (for you, at least).

Be positive.

I love your advice. It is so much better than the usual 'keep looking something will come'.:A

I know that I have to look but i'm getting obsessed. The things that you suggest are free and will keep me from going mad. Every time I get a rejection I start crying - I don't remember ever feeling so demoralised before.

I'm starting to feel happier already. :j

mountainofdebt

OP - I know exactly where you are coming from....your post could have come from me a couple of months ago.

However what I decided was that I needed to do, was have a reason to get up in the morning and dress before noon so if that reason wasn't a job then I was going to do some volunteering. I know its not everyone's cup of tea but if it gives you a purpose whilst you are looking for a job then surely it has got to be better than sitting around feeling sorry for yourself?

(Also you never know who or what contacts you'll meet whilst volunteering and what they will lead to!)

poorgrad

Mountainofdebt you are right. The problem is I used to spend time looking after my 2 year old nephew for my sister in the daytime and that really kept me going. Now they've all moved abroad this week. So I guess I am kinda grieving for them as well. I need a purpose - any purpose - just a reason to get up and get dressed everyday.

LemonGrove

Before I got my job I wasn't in such a state but I found myself staying up until stupid o'clock in the morning looking for and applying for jobs, and I spent much of the day physically applying.

Seriously though, like what was mentioned, things such as staying in your pyjamas until Midday really isn't going to help you feel better about yourself. Changing a few minutes after getting up of course won't improve your chances but it will help you feel a little bit better about yourself and hopefully improve your frame of mind.

You'll pull through it, just stay positive.

Good luck! :beer: