Coping mechanisms

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross tells us there are 5 stages of loss:

Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

I submit to you a new stage of loss for the 21st century: Blogging. Whether reading or writing one, the blog has become the panacea of choice for all our modern woes. As a consumer of all that is social media, it was only a matter of time before I moved on to this stage as part of my own personal loss: unemployment.

National unemployment rose to 7.1% in March, with a rate of 7.0% in my home state of New York. Suddenly being thrifty and conservative has become chic and stylish. All those hours honing my bargain bin diving skills has finally paid off!

Unlike other individuals in my cohort, I voluntarily threw myself into the unemployed masses. The details of that situation are not pertinent to the purpose of this blog, but I can say that it was not a lack of forsight that lead me to be one of thousands scrambling for available jobs. I knew full well what I was getting myself into when I submitted my letter of resignation, but I made the decision nonetheless. I am in no better or worse position than any of the other 7.0% for it.

The purpose of this blog is simple: to discuss the realities of being unemployed, whether or not those realities are related to the job search itself. I'll offer some insights and tips on anything from best job boards to cheapest and healthiest place to buy a meal. I'll talk about ways to keep yourself from going crazy (tip #1: start a blog!). In exchange, I'll pose questions and ask for advice from my readers. The goal is for all of us to be more informed and savvy during one of the hardest periods for any individual to encounter, especially in the face of an economic downturn.

Thank you for reading, and good luck to us all!