It’s absolutely crucial to avoid isolation when you’re job searching. For many people, a job brings structure, friendships and social interaction as well as an income. So, when you lose your job, you also lose day to day structure and opportunities for social interaction.

It can be so easy to end up spending a lot of time alone when you find your self out of a job. If the main focus of your job search becomes searching online, alone, at home for job leads (or any other isolating activity) you may quickly find yourself feeling particularly stressed beyond the normal stress that comes with losing a job and alone.

Be sure to find ways to stay in touch with former colleagues, actively networking is not only good for finding job leads, it can be good for your feelings of self worth while you’re job searching. Impose some structure in your day, and don’t allow yourself to fall into habits such as ignoring your appearance or sleeping at odd hours. Use community resources such as your library or local employment resource center for your job search. These places will provide you with great resources and give you opportunities to interact with others.