What Are The Consequences Of Unemployment? 5 Psychological Effects Of Being Unemployed
It is evident that unemployment has economic repercussions, but it also generates very important consequences on the physical and mental health of those affected. Find out how to deal with them.
When the unemployed person perceives that, regardless of the resumes they send weekly to countless companies, the training courses they take to improve their qualifications while they get a job, regardless of the job interviews that leave a good taste in their mouth… nothing depends of the; generates a perception of total absence of control over the outcome of the situation. In this way, the psychological consequences of unemployment can be disastrous for the person who is in this situation. joblessness situation But how can we address these moments without work?
It is obvious that being out of work affects anyone. The reason for this is that one of the consequences of unemployment It is precisely to lose a certain autonomy and freedom since money is what facilitates us within our society. In this way, being unemployed can end up having a series of psychological effects on our mental health.
If in addition, the unemployed person is constantly exposed to negative events and stressful situations that she cannot control (not being granted financial aid that she had requested, not being selected for a job in which she had placed all her hopes, an unforeseen and high expense that forces her to carried out due to a new municipal ordinance, etc.), the psychological message What the person translates from all this is: ‘Whatever you do, it’s of no use. I can’t help what happens to me.’
If the perception of helplessness lasts over time, that is, if the unemployment situation it drags on, the hopeless person learns that responding is useless; which is of no use. He progressively learns to tolerate this state, remaining motionless, almost inert, and with less desire to make a minimum effort to escape from the torture of the situation to which he is being subjected. He learns to behave passively, because he is of no use; why keep trying?
Therefore, people who have been in a situation of unemployment They can easily slip into this state of learned helplessness, widely correlated with clinical depression and other mood disorders.
Consequences of unemployment on our health
According to psychology specialists a series of identifying features can be identified in the so-called “Unemployment syndrome”: depression, insomnia, aggression, disappointment in life and loss of self-esteem.
If the jobless person If you are also the head of the family, the problem can also affect the health of your partner and children, who suffer simultaneously. If the unemployed person suffers from an underlying mental problem, unemployment immediately exacerbates it, accentuating the symptoms.
For their part, teachers are noticing a change in the behavior of school-age children. What experts call “premature maturity.” By analyzing the positive psychological effects of work, the negative repercussions of unemployment are better understood. Between them:
The loss of social connection
Work gives the individual a series of social contacts and the feeling of belonging to a group, which in unemployment situation translates into increased social isolation and increased feelings of loneliness.
The loss of routine
That structured and provided order and coherence in our daily lives. Therefore, one of the effects of unemployment or the consequences of being left without a job, produces disorganization and temporary disorientation, despite the abundant free time available.
Loss of goals
Work provides the individual with the pursuit of goals that direct their actions and motivate their development and long-term career projection. The loss of this vital sense due to unemployment It can generate high levels of hopelessness and stress.
If the psychological tension that remains can cause the person to become discouraged and resigned, abandoning the process of actively searching for employment and what could be even more serious; If the stress becomes more acute and prolonged over time, they will enter a phase of exhaustion; causing relatively stable psychosomatic responses, such as chronic insomnia. In these cases where the consequences of unemployment negatively affect the mental health of the afflicted, going to a professional psychologist may be the solution.
How to combat the negative feelings caused by unemployment?
When faced with the same situation, not all people react in the same way. There is unemployed with resilient personalities, who despite being unemployed have taken this new situation as an opportunity for change, launching themselves to create their own companies and with a lot of effort, courage and work have managed to become their own employees. It is a question of strength and attitude, which has a lot to do with each person’s ability to feel that, no matter what happens, they maintain control of their life.
People who perceive that they have control better mitigate their negative emotions, even in situations of intense anxiety. To avoid falling prey to learned helplessness, psychologists propose a series of measures that may be useful to maintain or regain the feeling of control in your lives during a period of time. joblessness situation
1. Become aware
It is very easy for causes of unemployment in Spain have been the result of you being in this situation. But even so, you can get a job if you work hard and give your best. Therefore, start by analyzing the difficulties that arise in this new situation, one by one, without generalizing or dramatizing, in order to see the possibilities and the efforts you must make to face them.
It is healthy to express negative emotions of anger, helplessness or fear with our loved ones. The fact of having social support and perceiving it as such can help us channel our feelings and serve as an escape valve. However, we cannot anchor ourselves to this mechanism; After expressing and relieving our emotional overload, it is necessary to start finding solutions. Reserve your emotional energy for active coping during this unemployment situation
3. Make economic planning
Detail monthly or weekly, all the fixed expenses that exist and all the income that will be available, and begin to make decisions about their distribution. Also begin to evaluate new alternatives such as, for example, free or cheaper leisure activities. This way, you will see that despite being out of work, you can always have control of your money and see the solution in this unemployment situation
4. Develop an agenda as a work day
To feel like we are in control of our daily lives despite unemployment, it is advisable to create activity routines; organize our day or week by dedicating a few hours to searching for a job, others to training, creating healthy habits (sports, relaxation…).
5. Understand and learn to manage the negative symptoms that can attack us when unemployed
Sadness, depression, anxiety, feeling of loneliness… Knowing the psychological risks that can attack us, we will be able to face them better. Identify negative thoughts that can threaten our emotional stability, know how to stop them and implement behavioral plans that block their effect. In this way, the lack of work or a situation in which you are unemployed It won’t be able to finish you.
The key during a unemployment situation Whether it is due to the Coronavirus or a crisis, it is knowing what you can control and what you cannot. In these cases, the only thing you can do to improve this moment is precisely to have the best attitude.
