S’porean Feeling “Useless” While Jobless Finds Hope & Practical Tips On Reddit

A Singaporean, frustrated by their state of unemployment, recently took to Reddit to ask: "Unemployed people, how do you spend your day?"

The OP shared: "I have been unemployed for the past two months and it's genuinely driving me insane. I feel so useless. I wake up, gym, apply to jobs, sleep. I have been trying to pick up some skills but my motivation is so low."

Netizens empathised with the OP’s situation, with some who had been in similar circumstances chiming in to share advice on how to better occupy their time.

Several people suggested that they take the opportunity to declutter their and reorganise their room, then sell unwanted things on secondhand sites such as Carousell. 

One commenter explained: "When you feel that you have control over your living situation, it makes things better."

The netizen also recommend that the OP gets regular sunlight exposure to uplift their mood, meditate, volunteer, and get a journal to set goals — all of which may provide them with motivation to stay positive. 

Another netizen, who shared that they were laid off a few months ago, wrote: “It’s been a roller-coaster ride for me — some good weeks with lots of responses and recruiter calls, and some really quiet, blue weeks filled with ghosting.”

They said they saw the period as an opportunity to brush up on their interview skills and update their résumé, and also signed up for platforms that allowed them to browse and take different courses.

"I have no problem filling up my days with things to do, the main thing I struggle with is discipline and my body clock. I’ve been waking up later and later every week, feeling very sluggish throughout the day — something that I’m working to fix now so it’ll be easier for me to adapt back to work life!" they added. 

The majority of netizens responded with words of comfort, with some framing what they called “funemployment” in a more positive light. Rather than stressing over feeling “useless,” they reassured the OP that the situation was temporary and encouraged them to enjoy the downtime.

One individual, who said they value having personal time, wrote: “I used it to read up on anything and everything I’m curious about, including fiction in genres I enjoy, exercise, learn new skills online, sleep, doom-scroll, read discussion threads, and watch Netflix and YouTube.”

Others urged the OP to take the opportunity to travel and indulge in hobbies, if their finances allow, and basically slow down before “rejoining the rat race.”

"Maybe it's just someone saying or telling you to slow down your pace and enjoy your time or rest for a while since you have been working hard," one suggested. 

With so much reassurance from fellow netizens, the OP might just learn to cherish this unexpected pause after all.

Photos: cottonbro studio, Antonio Borriello/ Pexels