Tools & Rituals for Surviving Unemployment
Unemployment isn’t just job hunting; it’s about keeping yourself semi-sane and semi-structured while you wait for the latest interview to circle back. This Soft Stack rounds up the tools and rituals keeping me alive (and occasionally thriving?) in the downtime:
🏃 Movement:
A one hour morning and late afternoon combats doomscroll rabbit holes and tricks my brain into thinking I have somewhere to be. Bonus points if the sun’s out… I swear that Vitamin D hits harder when you’re jobless.
🧑💻 LinkedIn:
I don’t mess with Seek or Jora. LinkedIn is the best for solid leads (IMO). Easy Apply makes it quick, and while it does invite a flood of spray-and-pray applications, the upside is that every submission is tied to your profile. Employers can instantly see your experience, mutual connections, and overall credibility before deciding whether you’re just another CV in the pile or actually worth interviewing.
🗓️ Scheduled Work Blocks:
I carve the day into 1–2 hour blocks for job apps, upskilling, Cafeteria, and studying for Citizenship. Keeps me from dissolving into 9 hours of Reddit soup. My brain needs compartments with clear start/stop points, otherwise things get feral.
👕 Unemployment Uniform:
I’ll admit I’ve been a little more lax than my usual work get up, but I keep grooming on schedule: shower, get dressed, eat breakfast. The routine stops me from slipping into full goblin mode (which I save for weekends).
🤓 Spreadsheets:
I‘ll admit it, I’m a slut for a good spreadsheet. Come on, I’m a producer, of course I’m spreadsheeting my way through unemployment. A combo of Notion and Google Sheets is my go-to for tracking applications, salary ranges, pros/cons, and when to let something go.
☕️ Husk Reusable Coffee Cup:
I have an unhealthy attachment to walking with a hot bevvy in hand. Normally I’m the “one more takeaway coffee?” friend (cue IBS), but unemployment budgeting means that’s that me Nespresso (in my huskee reusable cup) until further notice.
🎧 LoFi Jazz on YouTube:
I’ve been really into “LoFi girl” on YouTube lately. It feels like I’m in a cute cafe on a rainy day (even though I ironically dislike rain). Most of the day it’s playing in the BG while I’m either applying for jobs, writing for Cafeteria, studying for Citizenship, or eating whatever I can find in my kitchen cupboards.
💡 Final Thought:
Unemployment is weird. Equal parts terrifying, equal parts liberating. I’m trying to treat it less like a void and more like a temporary sabbatical. A chance to build the tools, rituals, and habits that I’ll actually want to carry into the next chapter. But let’s be real; ya boi will need an income eventually.