Unemployment and the Art of Intentional Distraction
The concept of “Intentional distraction” was recently introduced to me. It has been a game-changer for my mental health stability in my current career transition period. I’m sharing this with the intention of helping and inspiring others who are temporarily unemployed.
I am dealing with a ton of uncertainty and riding an emotional roller coaster. It's a lot on the body's mental and physical state. As a yogi, I am hyperaware of when I am out of balance. Everything is impacted- my sleep, my ability to focus, my mood, my responses to my environment, communications with others- EVERYTHING!
Luckily, I was assigned a wonderful career coach as part of my outplacement services when I was laid off. I am beyond grateful for her support and suggestions.
My career coach taught me the art of intentional distraction. She advised me to take breaks from job searching to do things that:
Appeal to my senses
Give me a sense of completion
Are not related to my job search
Put me into a grounded state
Raise my energy level and attract positive vibes
Below are some of the INTENTIONAL DISTRACTION activities that I have been doing:
Completing household tasks – like dishes, and laundry | Making changes to my environment- rearranging furniture and decorations | Organizing closets and kitchen cabinets | Making a vision board, coloring, and other arts & crafts | Practicing Yoga and Meditation | Reading books | Listening to podcasts | Hiking in nature | Going for a drive in my Jeep (AKA Jeeping!) | Taking pictures/ photographing nature | Hammocking at my favorite park | Cooking a meal, following a new recipe | Dancing and singing to happy tunes | Laughing- finding a funny show or movie | Visiting with friends and family | Planning my next vaca getaway! | Looking for volunteer opportunities | Petting a cat or dog | Playing with a kid | Blogging and social media engagement
There is a heavy sense of guilt in taking time for yourself when you have a “deadline” based on financial pressure or the length of time you are out of work. I struggled with this at first. My perspective was, “How are doing these intentional distraction activities going to get me to my bottom-line goal of getting a job and securing my income?”
My career coach assured me that giving myself space from constant worry and stress would benefit me in the long run. The goal is mental health endurance, not running as fast as I can until I pass out. It’s more like sprinting, resting, sprinting, and resting. It’s a way to preserve mental and physical energy so that I can keep going.
I’m learning to manage my emotions healthily and productively. I’m gaining emotional intelligence that will contribute to my leadership skills in my next role. So, there’s the silver lining!
Nama-stay-busy with intentional distractions while maintaining my drishti - (that’s a yoga term for focus)! Changing behavior patterns takes practice. The key is maintaining consistency over time. I have found that the more I practice giving myself these little intentional distraction breaks, the more clear-headed and optimistic I am when I switch back to job searching, networking, and interviewing. It’s a balancing act that I am determined to keep practicing daily.
Fellow, job-seekers: Let’s keep sharing ideas to support each other through this! What’s working for you? What intentional distractions are you practicing?