A month ago I left my job to move states to live with my PLP (platonic life partner). It's been amazing, unfortunately, I haven't found a job yet. We're not hurting for money yet, but I'm getting bored and frustrated with my lack of employment. I'm not used to being unemployed and not having a disposable income. And lack of need for a real routine is messing with my sleep schedule and overall productivity during the day. My PLP is a grad student and gone most of the week so I spend a lot of time alone and bored. I'm hoping to start school in the spring but until then I need a job and something else to keep my occupied. I don't handle inactivity well.

Also, I left a really good job at a natural foods co-operative and I'm kind of afraid I'm going to end up in a position I really dislike or in a place where my values and the company values don't align. I feel kind of silly being very concerned about that because an income is an income which is what I need right now but sigh after working 3 years at one I'm a co-op snob. I've talked to a manager at a nearby natural foods store that isn't a co-operative but it about as close as I can get in my current area. He seems to really like me and said he'd give me a call for an interview when he was hiring again but that hasn't happened yet.

What do unemployed people do to keep from going stir crazy?

I was unemployed for about 6 months and I hated it, too. The lack of routine is the worst. You don't really have to do anything, so you don't get tired and don't need much sleep. But you also don't have to get up for anything, so you don't set an alarm clock and just sleep in. And then when the evening comes again, you're far from tired and stay up late, making you sleep later in the morning again. And then at some point you notice that you have night and day all switched around. Horrible!

Here's what I did - though not all of it may be good advice, haha XD After a few weeks, I was so bored I started dividing my grocery lists so that I could go to 2 or 3 different supermarkets to do my shopping, because that would take more time.

I also went on longer walks with my dog at first, but then after a while that gets boring too and I started putting the dog in the car, driving up to other cities and going for walks in places I didn't know.

Every day around lunchtime, I'd prepare lunch for myself, then drive to my parents' house to eat it with them, so I'd have someone to talk to while eating. In the afternoons I usually kept busy in the kitchen - preparing decent, healthy meals for dinner so my boyfriend (now husband) could come in from work, sit down and start eating dinner right away. But I also started baking a lot of cakes and cookies and surely I gained quite some weight in the course of those 6 months :(

Then finally I started a course that I could study at home, I just had to send over my homework through e-mail, and I spent a lot of time working on it, often doing a lot more work than the teacher requested. I got wonderful grades for it though, and it did help me find a new job easier.

I really hope you'll find a good job soon. Good luck!

I game a lot and watch Netflix. Try to clean. Play with the cats. Take naps. Read. Put in job applications. Tumblr.

I don't have either a car or a pet, unfortunately, and it's so hot in Texas if I want to walk anywhere to do anything I have to do it early in the morning. I'm trying to get myself on something of a schedule at least. I get up at 9am every day whether I have something to do or not. I will be able to bike places soon and I think I'm going to start walking in the morning. The one thing I have enjoyed is being able to spend time cooking. I love making food for people so I'm going to use this time to cook as much as possible, I think. I'm not in school and won't be able to register for classes until Spring but I think I'm going to warm myself up to it (I've been out of school for 3 years) by reading my partner's textbooks when they're not using them.

Cleaning, napping and Tumblr have basically become my life (although my sitting room is still a mess). I really need a hobby. Maybe I'll start a food blog for tired, broke students with dietary restrictions. CX

Food blogs are always good. lol.

I feel for ya. I've been unemployed since May and am going crazy. I'm a legal assistant in living in Florida. In the area where I live there haven't been a lot of positions open right now. I've been apply for any job I can possibly do, but a lot of the times I'm overqualified and don't get any calls. I'm pretty much playing on Subeta, watching TV, trying to exercise and playing with my cats.

i am in a similar boat! i'm currently just a flex so i cover shifts here and there, but i dont have a real job like every week. i was also picked up by Lancome (i'm a makeup artist) for the fall season, but that doesn't start until the end of the month. it is driving me INSANE. i send resumes and emails all the time, but i have found that now i'm on facebook and drinking wine on my patio much too often. i have been able to travel a bunch but the days i am home just UGH. it kind of makes you feel useless you know? i've started getting back into sb again a little bit because of all my downtime, but i agree with you about the disposable income because i can become a workaholic easily. frustrating!!

I got stuck in a bit of a crappy unemployment situation as well. Basically when my job found out I was pregnant they wanted me gone and made it happen. And being in the state I am there was nothing that I could do about it. I wasn't planning on going back after baby but it meant 6 months of not working before I had planned.

For the most part, I enjoyed it at first. Being lazy, sleeping in, not doing much more than laundry and dinner. But I did start to get bored. Then I indulged in Netflix and Skyrim for a while. After a while that got old. I at least had some nursery projects to keep me busy for a bit. I try to do crafts and projects around the house when I feel like it.

My best advice is to try to enjoy it a little bit because it's temporary and boredom can put things into perspective a little bit BUT find things to do as well. Look up things you sort of have an interest in and see if you can't make a hobby out of it. Pinterest has been my best friend for crafts and projects.

Also, Subeta will always be there for you, lol.

Maybe you should've tried getting a job first before moving?

It's too late for that now of course but I'd suggest being out and about as much as you can. Even just walking around is good. Sitting at home, even playing games and stuff, can cause people to be depressed. Also, you can walk, bike, etc. around with a stack of résumés that you can give out. Even if a place isn't advertising that they're hiring you can try there.

Having a pet would make this so much more bearable, lol. I need someone to interact with during the day but I absolutely cannot justify getting a pet right now. I have gotten in a lot more exercise recently and taken up some healthy routines that I'd let fall by the wayside.

I wish I got to do more travelling. I'm a pedestrian and the town I'm in right now isn't super pedestrian or bike friendly so there's a limited distance I can travel. I've been doing good at not feeling useless. My PLP is a new grad student and they're super stressed out all the time so I've been keeping up with the cooking and cleaning and other household things so they don't have to worry about while they're getting used to their new schedule and workload. I've been trying not to drink too much during the day, lol, although it is very tempting. Housework is so much more interesting when I've got a buzz going.

That sucks! I've been let go before without justifiable reason but that is just sexist to the core. I do hope you found a better employer than that. In between job hunting I've been trying to make some projects for myself, I'm a DIY geek but a lot of my supplies got left behind in the move so I don't have a lot of materials to work with. If nothing else pans out soon I might try selling some products I make. I haven't seen a large market for locally made goods yet but I've not yet been to the farmer's market so we'll see.

Wouldn't you know it, my job search actually started before I moved, I just didn't get a job before my move date. I very nearly got a job but they wanted someone who could start sooner than I was going to get to the area. I'm at the top of their to-be-interviewed list when a new position opens up but as of yet they've not had any openings.

I honestly only looked for a few weeks to find a new job. But in the end it worked out not finding a new job for a few reasons.

If it's something that you can work out try selling on etsy. It really sucks that you don't have a lot of your supplies though. I'm a big fan of clearance for stocking up. Also, try craigslist or freecycle to see if you can't get free things to upcycle and do crafts with. Plus there is always Goodwill for things too. The first Saturday of the month is half off everything. It's chaotic but if you know what you're looking for it may be worth it. I see that you have pedestrian status so that might make it a little difficult to get things though.

I hope they'll have an opening soon! :)

I just found out there is another business like the one I had previously applied to a little ways away that is hiring for the exact position I had in Indiana. I'm dropping off my resume and application tomorrow morning, it's too late for me to walk there now. Hopefully I get it!

That's exciting! Best of luck to you. :D

Did you move TO or FROM Indiana? Cause that's where I'm stuck, lol.

I moved from Indiana to Texas. I don't know which state I like better yet, lol, although I've been kind of homesick for Indiana. Which is weird for me, because my actual home state is California.

I've only ever lived here. I had the opportunity a few years ago to move to Florida with my mom but I had just started dating my now husband so it just didn't work out to move.

Any luck finding more things to do yet?

I've been keeping myself busy. I've been researching rat breeders in the area. My partner and I both want a pet but they want a cat and I want a dog. We're compromising with rats, which are actually much more suited for our lifestyle right now anyway. Other than that I've been fiddling with my bike and getting it ready to ride again.

I did get a job interview! So hopefully I won't be trying to keep myself busy for too long and we'll actually be able to afford our rats!

I hear you, completely. I'm about to be in the same situation. I'm moving with my parents to another town that's too far away to keep the job I have now. This sucks because this is the first job I've had that I've really like. I'm a photo tech at a local newspaper.

OMFG RATS! They are AMAZING little pets. I wasn't "allowed" to have another after my last one passed. I pretty much love all animals, which is why I have two cats and two dogs. My husband was ok with zero, so we compromised and I have four, lol!

But seriously, if you can find a good breeder go that route. They can have shitty, short lifespans but a reputable breeder will have better quality rats. I've always had a single male and never had problems. But it's really personal preference and lifestyle. My last one was seriously just like a little dog. He'd play with the dogs, run around the house and come when he was called.

I'm excited for you over that, I hope it works out that you can get one(s). I'm very pro-rat because they make such amazing little pets.