How Unemployment Can Affect Your Self-Worth

Usually, your self-worth takes a dive when you find yourself without a job. It doesn't matter how you lose your job or why, as there are generally more pressing concerns, such as finding another job and paying the bills. If you leave on amicable terms with your former employer, at least you will be able to count on getting a positive reference, which may not be the case if there were tensions in the relationship you had with your boss. Either way, without a job you have nothing to occupy your time other than looking for work, and it can get you down.

Without a job, the days often seem long. Once you've filled in a few application forms and sent out your CV to different companies, the chances are you will have very little to do. You may perform a few household chores and watch a bit of television, but soon find yourself growing evermore despondent. When you don't have a job, you don't have much of an income, even if you are entitled to state benefits. Any money that does come in has to go towards paying the bills and so you can't just go out with friends and have some fun during your time off work.

Mind you, there is usually reluctance to meet up with friends when you're out of work, anyway, because of the shame that is attached to being unemployed. You don't want your friends to think that you're lazy and just trying to get out of work when the reality is you would much rather have a regular income. This is particularly true if you have been unemployed for a considerable period of time, and the longer you're out of work, the more your self-worth seems to decline, as you start to wonder what is wrong with you when you're never even asked to attend an interview.

Unemployment can adversely affect your self-worth because you have to be more careful with money, which means you can't always do the things you enjoy. You may be inclined to avoid friends and relatives because of the negative associations of being out of work, which means you have very little social interaction and this can leave you feeling down about yourself. There may be very little structure to your day, as you have nothing to get up for and nothing much to do, and so you find yourself growing increasingly bored and frustrated.

Since unemployment can take a toll on your self-worth, it is also bound to have an impact on the relationships you have with other people. You may start picking fights with loved ones and getting angry for no reason, directing your frustrations and anxieties at those you care most about. Virtually everyone finds themselves without a job at some point in their lives, but you just have to stay positive and hope that the situation changes in the future, as it probably will.