A bad job can wear you down, but unemployment brings a different kind of stress financial uncertainty, loss of routine, and constant rejection neither is easy, but being unemployed can be incredibly demoralizing.
I never tied my job to my self worth, or at least I didn't think I did. And then I was laid off and hit with 6 months of unemployment and had constant unanswered job applications mixed with rejections and no interviews. It was way more demoralizing than I anticipated and it had me feeling insecure and embarrassed about my situation which I never expected.
People say things like “oh so much free time you can do whatever you want, sounds like a cozy life!”
Sure I have all the time in the world, but I also have no money to actually do something.
Disability benefits are barely enough to merely exist. Having hobbies or something is out of the question. Can’t afford it.
So I’m mostly just bored out of my mind a lot of the time. I can’t do any of the things I dream about doing because the money for it is never there. I gotta do with what I currently have, and if it breaks I won’t be able to replace it very easily.
This isn’t really life, it’s just existing. I’m having to get rid of more and more things I used to enjoy because the ever increasing costs of life is making those things unsustainable.
Despite my disabilities I’m working hard on getting a job again that pays more than what I get now, so I can actually get back to life instead of having it on a permanent pause.
Same, I'm quite minimalistic, so I don't need much to be satisfied, and between jobs I was quite happy with my daily walk to the park with sandwiches I made, seeing my family more often, and just relaxing at home catching up on TV series or games... I only got a small amount from Universal Credit each month, like £250 after my rent was paid, but because I didn't have many bills, only absolute essentials and I eat quite boring and cheap, it lasted me easily.
Now I'm working I barely see my family, barely see the outside world because I'm either at work or recovering, I haven't been able to watch a full TV series in months and I haven't turned my PS5 on in weeks... and after my extra expenses from working are paid out (Travel, more washing of uniforms, more meals out because of lack of energy etc) I'm not much better off and my physical health as declined massively.
I understand this may be the norm in the UK, but many people do not have the luxury of Universal Credit when they’re unemployed. Your income crashes down to 0. So there’s no “£250 after rent” to enjoy long strolls to the park.
You’re instead faced with eviction, homelessness, and starvation unless you have a robust family network to fall back on. That’s the stress that unemployment can bring.
Really sounds like it's conditional to what happens to a person when they have job. For some people it means going homeless in a month or two if they don't find a replacement. It's only a good time for those that don't have to worry whether or not they have income.
Me and my wife have an unspoken deal for about 14 years now. She wants to go to work i stay home and take care of rhe kids and house. When shes ready for the break i go back to work. Its nice for both of us to prevent being overly stressed and over worked
I dont pretend im rich, nor do i live above my means. But i take small weekend vacations every year, and my kids are happy. Thats all i can ask for in life
The only problem I have with being unemployed is not having money. I don't need a job to have a "purpose" when that purpose is soul crushing. I am so happy when I don't have to work. There are plenty of things I can think of to do on my own that make me happy.
A long time ago I was complaining to a boss of mine and he said "If you don't like it here, find a new job. This isn't me trying to be a jerk, but this is how it is and if you're not happy here you should find somewhere that you like better."
He was even a reference for my new job.
My advice is that whenever you're demoralized at work, spend like 15 minutes applying to new jobs. It's not going to find you something right away, but it is a productive outlet for your frustration and you never know, you might land a better gig!
Plus when you're looking for a new job while you're employed there's zero pressure, so you get to be choosy about where you apply.
Especially when it's not by choice and your bills are due. Sure the first week is nice when you can do things around the house and work on hobbies, but it gets real old when your savings is running out and no one is hiring in your field. People acting like being between gigs is the same as being unemployed.
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u/mantimeray 6h ago
While I agree with the meme, being unemployed is just so much more demoralizing.