02.01 || 31.1.26
“Funemployed”
5 Lessons I Learned Being Unemployed
Back in 2023, I got fired from a job I was at for 2 weeks and spent the next 18 months unemployed.
It’s now the end of 2025 and I’m unemployed again (ffs), so I figured I’d share 5 lessons I’ve learned from being in this situation. And with the labour market being the way it is, I’m sure I’m not the only one goingg through this learning process.
1. It’s Not A Holiday
The first few days after losing or leaving your job are bliss! You can finally sleep in, your 24 hours are yours to do as you please. It feels like your responsibilities have decided to let you breathe…just like a holiday. But it’s all fun and games until you realise it’s not.
If you’re like me and you didn’t have to work your gardening leave, the following 2-4 weeks will feel amazing because you’re still technically getting paid. But eventually, it’ll dawn on you that this isn’t paid time off. Once that final payday hits, you’re left to your own devices. The free trial is done and now it’s time to pay for the full subscription.
A day or two to process and prepare, but after that, get busy.
This is not the time to put your feet up!
2. Cash Is King, Debt Is A B*tch
If you’ve lost your job and you have debt, sorry bro! There’s nothing worse than having no income but still having outgoings. Rent, overdraft interest, card payments, finance payments, parking tickets. Whatever it may be, having these payments lingering over your head with no real way to comfortably cover them can send you spiralling.
Have you ever had bailiff knock on your door? I promise you it’s a different level of hide & seek.
When people say “make sure you have a rainy day fund”, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A RAINY DAY FUND. Unfortunately for me, my “rainy day fund” was me having to liquidate my stocks and crypto portfolio (at a time where in an ideal world I’d be buying more) and sell a car (that I still had payments on).
Cash is king. Don’t be a peasant.
3. You Need A Purpose
The first few days of freedom are cool but eventually, even if the money situation is sorted, the extra free time will start to eat you alive. Jobs don’t just give us security. They give us a sense of purpose, even if we don’t necessarily like what that particular purpose is. So, not having anything to do for 24 hours back to back to back will eventually drive you insane.
Each day needs a purpose. That could be job hunting, sorting out life admin, hitting the gym, catching up with friends/family. Keep your schedule as busy as you can because 9-5, that’s an 8 hour void that needs filling.
I’ve never suffered from depression before, but when I was out of work, 3-5 months in was probably the lowest I’d ever felt in my life. And that mainly came down to me not feeling any sense of purpose or achievement.
Getting things done while being unemployed helps provide a feeling of accomplishment, even if it’s on a minute scale.
There is power in purpose.
4. I Have Great Friends
I’ve always been a “fend for myself” type of person. Like most guys, asking for help isn’t something that comes easily to me. But during the period I was out of work back in ’23, I was definitely overwhelmed by all the support I got from my friends.
A lot of the time it wasn’t even me asking, it was just them understanding the situation I was in and them providing support in whatever way they could.
You don’t realise how blessed you are until you lose it all. Some would call just to check in and see how I was holding up. Others sent me ££ to get food and the basics. Sending me job opportunities I could apply for. All sorts.
It was an interesting dynamic for me because I’ve always downplayed the value of friendship but that period definitely reshaped my perspective for sure.
Love your friends because your friends love you!
5. Routine Is Sanity
Kind of tying into having a purpose. When you’re unemployed, time becomes a figment of your imagination. There’s no urgency to go to bed at a certain time because the 7:30 train is no longer of importance to you. But this is where things get dangerous.
Falling out of a daily routine can be a slippery slope because the world operates on structure. And I’m being a hypocrite as I write this because I am fully intending to do an all nighter tonight (a story for another day). But having, and keeping, your structure is a great way to keep your mental stable during your time off work.
Trust me, the mental is most likely going to take a bit of a knock depending on how long this period lasts – I hope it doesn’t for your sake, but that’s the reality of it.
Your routine will keep you rooted.
Sooner Rather Than Later
The lessons didn’t stop there but I’ll leave it at that for now. A word is enough for the wise as they say, so this should be more than sufficient. Besides, this is applies to me more than ever so if anyone should take heed to these words, it’s myself.
That said, to anyone who is in the not-so-ideal position of being unemployed, or “in-between jobs” as my cousin likes to put it, keep your head up as high as you can. I know it’s not easy to and with the current job market, each job rejection may feel like another reason to bring your head slightly lower, but it’s temporary.
As long as you’re giving each day the most effort that you can, be that applying to jobs, working on your business, trying to make connections or whatever that may be, give yourself grace and allow life to run its course.
And to anyone who’s in a job that they don’t like, also keep your head up and remain grateful. But while remaining grateful, continue to prepare yourself for that time when opportunity comes knocking, it will happen sooner or later. My prayer for you is that it happens sooner rather than later.
Stay Blessed
W
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Connect with the Kid:
📧 wndy@awndywrld.com
📥 @awndyday
📲 +447415788447