FUNemployment | First things first: Adaptation

Vacations and relaxation are great, and easy to enjoy when you can rely on structure and routine to return momentarily,

but how do you adapt when it becomes your new way of life?

Whether you've been laid off or left a position of your own desire, life as you knew it is over. A nine to five job eats up the majority or your weekday life, so with its sudden disappearance (good or bad) you have to consider what to do with your new-found free time.

If you've been laid off, you (likely) will have received a severance package offering a certain amount of financial stability, and therefore flexibility, while you figure out how to deal with the curve ball you've been thrown. I am the sort of person who enjoys staying busy and thrives in structure, so I made it my first goal to anchor myself and create a plan of action before all my big ideas ran rampant and became overwhelming. Whether or not you are a person who strives for structure, creating a new routine is a great way to ensure you stay on track and (if you're like me) make sure you don't waste your time fretting as to whether you've just wasted your day away.

STEPS TO CREATE A ROUTINE

1. Identify what's important to you. This is your time, your routine; so, if catching up on Pretty LIttle Liars and eating an above average amount of pastry is important to you - put it down.
2. Identify what's important to your next move. This isn't as fun, but is definitely just as necessary. These goals can include updating/refocusing your resume, identifying ideal companies or career paths, deciding whether you would like to relocate and research ing accordingly, and more.
3. Assign each item a rank based on what's most important to you. Remember, this can change week-to-week, day-to-day, so if yoga and coffee dates are top of your list the first week, go for it! You can always re-focus once you've had your fill.

Mine looked like this:

Once you have identified and ranked your goals, use them to create a guideline for your new routine. Since spending time outdoors is very important to me, I have outlined my routines based on whether the day is sunny and warm, or dull and raining. At this point my routine is a general to-do list of goals for each day leaving room for non-flexible appointments, workshops and lunches. If I notice a day begin to stack up, I will create a more specific schedule for it the night before to ensure I will still be able to accomplish those things I consider to be most important. Organizing my routines this way also allows me to combine activities so I can achieve a few goals at once. For example, the last few days I've worked on my accomplishment statements and blogged while outdoors enjoying the sunshine. 

Currently, I am still largely focused on the first bunch, although I can feel my priorities transitioning. In my first week of unemployment, I was only concerned with the first bunch of items because I was, naturally, excited for my newfound freedom. Into my second week I could feel a shift toward the second bunch but it was for the wrong reasons. I was still trying to enjoy, and take advantage of, my free time began to feel overwhelmed by all the things I "should" be doing. Instead of ignoring those feelings I factored in a bit more time for accomplishment statements and reached out for some help, allowing myself to sidestep the downward spiral of fretting that would have definitely ruined my week. Now that I am into my third week, my head is clearing I have begun to tackle the items from the second bunch that I consider a priority. Since I am listening to, and managing, myself I am able to spilt my time between doing those things I enjoy most, and working effective and efficiently through what's less fun. 

So there you have it, the steps and techniques I am using to begin my adaptation.

Have you ever encountered a similar situation? 

How did you handle adapting to your new reality?