Support Yourself During Recovery: What You Need to Know During Your Job Search

Balancing your Finances and Sobriety

This may be a difficult time of your life, personally and professionally. Finding work after recovery is seldom easy, but have heart. There are ways you can make a living during this time. However, you need to take care of yourself and avoid stress. If you’re looking for ways to support your wellness goals, these strategies can help you during your career search.

Cope with Stress

You need to take care of yourself in a positive way and do your best to keep anxieties down as you return to work. Continue seeing your therapist, as they have advice for you and can help you keep a level head. Exercise is a healthy activity to deal with stress, so long as it does not become a replacement addiction. Working out allows your brain to process oxygen and release endorphins. Just as important is your support system: Think about whom you trust to be part of that system, who can be there to support you and listen. Write information down in advance that you may need in a crisis, such as whom you can call, their phone numbers, and any organizations available.

Find a Side Gig

Freelancing can seem intimidating, but it’s actually a good avenue to earn extra cash until you find something more secure. To find out what side gig is best for you, consider your skills. You can even look at your personal life. What have you done well in, and how did you create that success? How can you apply that to a side gig? 

For instance, if you are an animal lover, or have had pets in the past, you could advertise yourself as a pet sitter. It doesn’t cost much, if anything, to start up, and you can often earn above the national minimum wage. It also allows you the flexibility to continue looking for more permanent work or even to find more clients as you pet sit. Think creatively. There are many excellent options you can pursue.

If you decide to pursue a side gig that allows you to work from home, it’s important to create a space that’s dedicated solely to your job. Without this area, you may find yourself becoming easily distracted by things around your home (television, games, etc.), which can often take a serious toll on your productivity. All you really need to get started is a good computer, a reliable internet connection, and a printer, though having an area that provides plenty of peace and quiet is probably the most important aspect.

Sell Your Craft

With the advent of Etsy, selling things you make, from the comfort of your home, has never been easier. Etsy even lists what sells best, so if you don’t know where to start when it comes to crafting, you can see what is most profitable. Handmade jewelry is surprisingly easy to make and allows you to express yourself creatively. 

Clothing is another popular choice, and you don’t have to be good at sewing to sell products. One of the more prominent items is clothing with unique expressions printed or painted on them, something many of us can do. You don’t need a special printer, either. You can try vinyl transfer. All you need is an iron to get started.

Get Musical

If you can play an instrument, you can teach. Teaching privately is a viable option, and one that enables you to support yourself in the long term. You can even work online, so you don’t need to worry about travel or hosting students. You may have to be flexible with your schedule, however, as students may be in different time zones. Payment sites including PayPal are a safe, secure way to transfer money, so set up an account before you start tutoring. The fee used by PayPal can even be written off as a business expense at the end of the year, so you can recoup what you’ve lost. 

Always receive payment before giving a lesson, as this is the safest course of action. If you have expertise in another area, rather than music, you could try teaching and tutoring in that as well, especially if you have well-documented experience.

It may seem like you’re going uphill at the moment, but don’t give up. Things will get easier, and you will establish yourself. Don’t forget to take good care of yourself, keep your stress levels as low as you can, and try something new. You may just find your new career in the process.