Recently Unemployed? Here’s My Advice for Your Weekends

As someone who has been displaced a couple of times in their career, I will be sharing some of my journey and tips with you over the next few weeks.

One thing I can tell you that has proven to work for me, and others I know in the same boat, is to make sure you give yourself some time off. I know that is hard. I know the anxiety and the stress and fear that can creep in.

But it is critical that you give yourself some time out, both physically — and here is they key: mentally. Your family need you, your friends need you. You need you! Your brain and spirit need to be given the space to rejuvenate and re-energise. I strongly suggest that weekends are still maintained as that.

It’s something I’ve practiced as much as possible for a long time. And whilst it may not always be something I’m great at, I do aim to do it each week. If you’re coming from a shift work environment this might be especially tricky to figure out — or liberating! Welcome to your weekends, the same as everyone else’s! Use it as something that uplifts you.

I sometimes find that by Sunday afternoon I’m ready to do a little work to prepare for the week ahead. Just enough to help my Monday get off to a great start but not enough to ruin any of the self-care I achieved on the weekend.. I jot down some of the things I’m grateful for in the last week, some of my goals and tasks for the week ahead like: update my CV, update my LinkedIn, organise my email inbox! I make a little list of the things we need to get done in the house. And I may write an article (like this one).

It’s easy right now for things to spiral out of control. But by looking after ourselves and being a little organised, you’ll be in SO much better shape to manage the stress, get closer to those goals, and be able to look after those around you who rely on you so much.

Here’s to the weekends. And the week ahead. I can’t wait to hear what you’re up to.

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About Ant Cohen: Ant is the founder of #ProjectDisplaced — an online community and free job board for workers in the airline, arts, tourism, and hospitality industries that have lost their jobs or been stood down due to #COVID19