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So it wasn’t easy, believe me. But you have to look beyond your immediate circumstances and look big-picture. Losing a job is a big setback, but you can still better yourself. You can exercise, volunteer, and catch up with old friends (who might just know of a job opening). And you simply cannot let self-pity get in the way of good old pounding the pavement. You have to stay busy — finding a job is a full-time job.

And to go back for a second — the exercise thing is pretty huge. The inclination is there to want to just melt into the couch with a battalion-sized bag of Dorito’s and all of the old “Starsky and Hutch” DVDs. But you will feel much, much better about yourself if you work out — aside from the role of endorphins, you can say, “Hey, I may not have a job (yet!), but I’m starting to feel and look better.” That can really help your mindset.

Power through it.

I just found this blog today on AllTop. Great timing because I was laid off at 3:30 today!

I was, during those summers, “too good” to apply to retail and fast food. However, I was ready for anything that sophomore year. It is interesting that when I became humble enough to apply all over, I got the job I had been looking for. Oh, and the guy who originally hired me is something of a friend now, too. We both enjoy working with ancient languages, and I might even find myself working in a similar field someday. Friends and contacts are good things.

I have been unemployed for the past 5 months. I finally found a new job (actually an old one that I have been welcomed back to, but I digress), and I used a number of these techniques to get me through the rough time. I heard them from a number of different sources, and I think it is great that you have compiled them into a list. I do, however, think one of the best things that got me through it was working out. I think that should absolutely be added. It got tough after the first few months because my savings started drying up, and I found it hard to justify spending $5 a day to go to the gym. Instead I went running and did pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and other free exercises in a nearby park. The fresh air and physical activity did wonders for my mood, not to mention making me feel better to be in better shape. It also motivated me to follow more of these tips, like getting out and hitting the street as well as contacting my contacts.