The COVID-19 pandemic is driving unemployment to unsustainable levels.

Analysts predict a slow economic recovery, which is more bad news for the unemployed.

We’re all anxious about the present and fearful for future job security.

Follow these eight practical tips to help you deal with the emotional and psychological impact of unemployment.

1. Take time to re-prioritise your life

Losing a job can mean loss of identity and self-esteem.

Give yourself time to re-prioritise what’s really important in your life.

Be kind to yourself, acknowledge that the next few months are going to be challenging and take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone.

2. Create a daily routine

Most of us thrive on structure and routine.

Try to stick to your usual routine by getting up at the same time every day, exercising and then getting on with the tasks you’ve set yourself.

You don’t have to have a job to feel productive but you do need to fill your hours doing something productive whether it’s working in the garden or volunteering your services at a charity organisation.

3. Avoid self-isolation

It’s not uncommon for people who have been retrenched to feel ashamed.

A natural reaction is to retreat from society in order to avoid answering embarrassing questions around your current status.

As we learned during lockdown, isolation can lead to heightened levels of anxiety and depression.

Reach out to people to talk through your emotions. Don’t bottle-up your worries.

4. Re-visit your household budget

Take a practical approach to the loss of income by re-evaluating your household budget.

Cut down on expenses where you can without compromising your family’s health and well-being.

Consider downgrading your existing medical-aid coverage and motor-vehicle insurance.

Allocate spending on luxuries to an emergency savings fund.

5. Expand your social network

In today’s fraught economic times, it can be not what you know but who you know that helps you find a new job or career.

Try networking as much as possible by joining social groups, taking up a new hobby or sports activity and reconnecting with old friends and colleagues online.

By expanding your social network, you’ll maximise your chances of finding paid work whether it’s a freelance opportunity or a permanent position.

6. Set achievable tasks

Procrastination is the enemy when you’re looking for work.

It’s important to set yourself daily or weekly tasks. Draw up a to-do list and tick off the tasks once you’ve accomplished them.

Consider these tasks:

• connect with 10 LinkedIn contacts
• revise your CV
• submit five new job applications
• spend a prescribed number of hours researching online job sites.

7. Develop new skills

The world of work is constantly evolving and that means skills can easily become redundant.

Assess what competencies are currently scarce in your particular field and sign up for a course to develop those skills.

If you can’t afford a paid course, several online learning academies offer free curricula, such as FutureLearn, Oxford Home Study Centre, Coursera and Class Central.

8. Get an asset-based loan to tide your over

Once you’ve exhausted your savings and don’t know how you’re going to meet your monthly obligations, a short-term loan can help you bridge the period between jobs.

However, borrowing money from the usual sources, like a bank or micro-lender, is out of the question as a regular income is one of the lending criteria.

A practical solution is to use an existing asset as collateral for a loan. Pawn My Car specialises in providing short-term cash loans secured by paid-up motor vehicles – cars, bakkies, truck, motor bikes and boats.

Call Pawn My Car on 0861 112 866 or apply for an asset-based loan online and get the funds you need to see you through the tough times.

Complete an application now