Down Time

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday November 3, 2007

Thea O'Connor

Keeping a routine is vital if you are between jobs, writes Thea O'Connor.

On the Richter scale of life events that can shake your foundations, job loss is near the top. Whether you've been fired, taken a redundancy or been retrenched, even a temporary phase of being jobless can take its toll on body, mind and bank balance.

"Job loss is associated with increased smoking, alcohol intake, physical inactivity and obesity, as well as increases in domestic violence and marital breakdown," says Andrew Noblet, senior lecturer in organisational behaviour at Deakin University. "One study even showed that teenage children were more likely to take up smoking or smoke more when their breadwinning parent lost their job."

As well as the obvious benefits such as income, employment is good for wellbeing because of the five "latent" benefits it offers that keep us in touch with reality, according to the theory of Marie Jahoda, the late Austrian social psychologist. Tony Winefield, professor of psychology at the University of South Australia, explains: "Work structures our use of time, enforces activity, puts us in regular contact with others, creates goals and provides a sense of identity," Winefield says.

According to the 2001 National Health Survey, 9.8 per cent of adults who were without a job reported very high levels of psychological distress, compared with 3.6 per cent of the adult population.

"Our research into unemployed youth indicates that the stigma of unemployment has intensified since the '80s," Winefield says. "This is probably due to the myth of low unemployment, with current levels reported to be at less than 5 per cent. Unemployed people think, 'There are plenty of jobs around, how come I can't get one?' But the current figures are so deceptive - even if you work one hour a week you're classified as employed."

Declining health following job loss isn't inevitable. Resilience depends on many factors, such as financial security, social support, age, the conditions surrounding loss of employment and the market demand for your skills. The ability to cope with stress, loss of structure and plenty of time on your hands also makes a difference. So-called maladaptive or escapist coping behaviours, such as filling empty days with television, food, alcohol or cigarettes, are more common in people under financial strain and in those who feel a sense of helplessness, says Noblet.

Lesley Schoer is an executive business coach who steers people through periods of change. "Confidence is really challenged when people find themselves without work - even in those who are highly qualified and very employable," she says. "The first thing is to recognise that you are in a transition phase, which always involves loss, letting go and feeling disoriented. There will be ups and downs and that's normal."

The business coach gets her clients to envisage a new future for themselves, asking what they want the next stage of their life to be like.

They must also re-establish an identity apart from their job, especially when they have been in a job for a long time.

"Men seem to struggle with this the most. I encourage people to develop a response to the common question - 'what do you do?' drawing on all aspects of themselves and their lives."

Schoer encourages her clients to keep physically fit and healthy. Social fitness is equally vital. Staying connected helps people feel valued and can open up new job opportunities.

Without the structure of work, it's all too easy to lie in bed for open-ended hours. Instead, Schoer encourages her clients to create a structure for their days and weeks, using their future-life vision to guide their activities.

Be yourself

Create structure and routine

* Exercise regularly

* Develop healthy stress-busting techniques

* Stay socially connected

* Establish an identity independent of work

Source: Lesley Schoer

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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