🤗 How to Take Good Care of Your Self-Esteem During Unemployment

US and Canadian jobs are shrinking and are expected to worsen for a variety of reasons. There’s a lot of negativity and fear about the long winter ahead and economic reports are making many Americans and Canadians uneasy.

Imports tariffs, AI unemployment, small business struggles, automation, migration changes, government debt, high taxes, corporate greed and more is taking its toll on perceptions of work security. Our place in the system is tenuous, affecting our financial well-being, health and self-esteem.

In this post, I expose the number one driver of good mental health, resilience and self-mastery, and if you’re unemployed or headed there shortly, you’d be wise to refresh yourself on some of these 12 keys to capturing what is your birthright: strong self-esteem.

The big recessions in the last 40 years have shown us how these macroeconomic events can happen out of the blue and suddenly sink us into personal despair. For those breadwinners supporting kids or others, there’s often an added toll on their self-esteem. We feel like we’ve let ourselves and others down. This applies to almost everyone, and it’s especially tough when we expect ourselves to be masters of our destinies and able to cope with anything. Yet at these times, others too need your stability and strength.

And even during good economic times, we know most people struggle with their self-esteem, never understanding how to take control of it, rather than letting it become a soccer ball that everyone else gets to kick around.  Let’s find ways to fix this.

Keeping It Real

Unrealistic expectations and beliefs about ourselves and others are often at the root of this mental anguish. Letting go of that prison of expectations clears the way for a new view of ourselves.

Yet, when you’re unable to pay your rent, student loan, mortgage or car loan and credit card payments, there are big consequences. It’s at this time, when it can be tough to avoid falling into an emotional rut where the smallest new challenges feel like steep mountainside cliffs to climb. Getting good sleep and functioning well become added issues for many.

Arguably, the most important asset in life, especially during extended unemployment, is self-esteem. Our view of ourselves affects everything we do and why we do it. It’s at the center of our lives. And when it slides, it tends to take everything down. This is why a systematic defense and action plan is essential. It defends, crystalizes, and lifts your spirit.

The Value of Creating Strong Self-Esteem

So my thought here is to reiterate the value of building your self-esteem as a hedge against life’s downside and the pain of unemployment. Because unemployment brings a wave of negative thoughts and limitations.  In general, our societies are not tolerant of economic and personal failure. We’re expected to fulfill the “self-sustaining imperative” always-on success habit without gaps, and that failure is always the fault of individuals.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha

And if we harrassed by that “it’s our fault” belief system fully, we get nowhere, lose compassion for ourselves, and even lose our right to feel good about ourselves. Here’s what I want to emphasize that’s so critical. It’s that our self-esteem is not for sale – it’s unconditional love for ourselves, not dependent on income, prestige, wealth, accomplishment, or privilege. No matter what the world hurls at us, it’s not our doing.  We’re innocent as we compete for resources such as housing, jobs and money, and whether we have family or friends. We’re all doing the best we can.

“The strongest relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.” — Steve Maraboli

Whatever happens in this downturn environment, you must never sway in your regard for yourself. Your success and happiness is literally built on your self-esteem which needs to be solid.

What do You Think in the Wee Hours of the Morning?

Other people may not care about you much or may even try to vilify you, but have none of that.  Even in the early morning hours, when you wake from an unpleasant and recriminating dream, you must keep the switch to your self-esteem turned on. Forget about the past, and consider that it may not have done much for you.  You can move and focus on your future successes. The fresh new thing you’re into will be fun and with your help might ensure you don’t get caught in one of these man-made economic downturns.

Personally, in the many recessions in the past, I felt my self-esteem crash with the obvious losses of money, daily activity, purpose and freedom.

Recessions and job losses are difficult and I did find myself ruminating about low motivation, mistakes made and opportunities missed.  I had to learn respect for my own judgement and that it’s important to stay on your path. And that path can be filled with ruts and rocks that twist our ankles and send us for a loop.  It’s all part of what makes life interesting. Contrast that with the boredom and stultification of people with carbon-copy days, where there are no challenges.

But there’s absolutely no point to letting your self-esteem fall. You did the best you could and it didn’t work out. Maybe you felt stupid because you didn’t see these things coming and believed you should have. None of us are omniscient and all-powerful. We’re actually quite limited (even with ChatGPT).

The Cure: Solid, Unwavering Commitment to Yourself, no Matter What

With solid, unwavering and resilient self-esteem, you can overcome anything. In fact, that positive state makes you more energetic, clear-headed, and motivated to excel at anything.

If you’re waiting for approval, support or permission, don’t bother. Others can’t help you. This is between you and you.

And one note about bad events, is that they often end something that was never really great for you anyway. Perhaps that job or industry was dying and you really needed to move on. You deserve better.  Life’s events happen suddenly, weirdly and often they’re a blessing. They can help you get out of a terrible routine that robbed you of your bright future. Appreciate new opportunities to be even happier!

So let’s quickly summarize the key elements of your fortified self-esteem – the one resource that is all powerful:

• Respect for yourself, and your will to do the best for your life
• Focus on you and your core identity and your own unique path to fulfillment and actualization
• Belief that you deserve the best life you can get, and that at some point you will achieve it
• A sense of purpose for yourself – a vision of yourself in the future that draws you forward
• A feeling of self-control that you have direction, strength and self-mastery
• Focus on the skills, connections, and resources that will improve your lot in life
• The knowledge that you already have the capabilities you need, and all you need to do is exercise them.
• A willingness to help and support people to create a better life for everyone
• The knowledge that you are powerful and influential and you only need to practice it
• Feeling positive toward others while not being concerned about what they think
• A feeling that you belong somewhere in society and the confidence that you will find that place
• Commit to a strategy of finding another job that you believe in

This cluster of 12 traits of self-esteem creates a powerful force within you.

What they represent is a set of behaviors that make us commit to ourselves, empower ourselves and move us forward to where we will feel at home. If you are mindful of them all the time, then high-esteem will happen, and become ingrained in your thinking and behavior.

Get Out of those Dark Places

So if you’re in a dark place, snap out of it. Because you will get to travel, move to great new city, be creative and accomplished, build new skills, find an excellent job, gain more good friends, and move on from any mistakes you may have made.

It’s not about forgetting the past, but rather about who you are and what’s next. It’s really about feeling good right now, because you deserve it. You don’t get self-esteem or respect from other people. It is a relationship you have with yourself. It can even be a chatty conversation where you coach yourself every day to stay on track, keep your mind open, offer positive feedback, and accept yourself as you are right now, no matter what is happening. It’s not weird, it’s healthy.

Feeling down about unemployment or failure, or not meeting expectations, wastes time and resources. Don’t go there. There’s nothing to be learned or gained from it.

Focus on you and your path, and keep getting stronger and better. Because if a recession and job loss can’t defeat you, you likely do have good self-esteem.

Read up on the joy of travel, and the signs you’re about to have a big career breakthrough, and why moving to a new city might be the right decision.  Take care of yourself and have an amazing 2026.

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