Unemployment is just like this skier’s 1000 foot fall

Angel Collinson grew up on the mountain skiing Utah’s famed “Greatest Snow on Earth.” Her enthusiasm and passion for skiing translated into a successful career filled with international competition, including the Freeskiing World Tour. In sum…she has a lot of experience.

But that experience couldn’t prevent the snow on an Alaskan mountain in the spring of 2015 from suddenly flipping her on her back and tumbling down the steep grade before coming to a rest 1000 feet later. Miraculously, she survived with bruises and two jammed fingers. If you haven’t seen the video, watch it now.

Unemployment is very much like Angel’s surprising, scary and seemingly unending fall down the mountain.

In my professional experience working with unemployed clients, I can tell you the following with complete certainty: Unemployment is no respecter of persons. I see unemployment hit men and women; old and young. Education is not an insurance policy, as I have seen people with Bachelor, Master and Doctorate degrees struggle to find work. Sometimes, the snow suddenly goes to hell and you find yourself tumbling down the mountain.

Angel even remarks about this discussing the fall to a group, saying “I could have pulled it off with different circumstances…99 out of a 100 times you’ll be fine.” But sometimes things happens outside of your control.

Then, in that moment of uncontrollable, disorganized, rapid descent…you are completely helpless. The reality of unemployment may be different, but it certainly feels helpless at times. The longer the fall, and the longer you are unemployed, the more helpless you feel.

This is normal. Employment is one of the key stabilizing factors in our lives. Most adults spend over half of their waking hours working, sadly reinforcing the idea we spend more time with our co-workers than our immediate family. Losing the stability of employment not only affects your self-esteem, but a long job search has a destabilizing effect on the family. (Lindner, 2014)

Beyond these emotional effects briefly mentioned, unemployment has practical, real world, and often immediate financial implications for families. Two income families are practically essential for households to thrive in this economy, but even with strong, high single income, families are most likely living paycheck to paycheck without the safety of a savings cushion.

Finally, losing a job strips us of our social connection to the outside world, especially if you are not active in the community with a local church or other activities. Your world turns into home life, seasoned with late night television, the sickly glow of never ending job postings on Indeed.com illuminated from the computer screen, and the unfailing friendly box of bonbons.

If that isn’t enough, being unemployed is exhausting. Just look at the toll Angel’s body took on that 1000 foot fall. I bet she

was shocked and completely exhausted. The feeling of helplessness, combined with the scrapes and bruises of falling through unemployment

can beat up our bodies. Gone is our stability, damaged are our finances and social support…we are tired. This is where depression sets in and we begin to feel hopeless.

How do we battle the twin feelings of helplessness and hopelessness when facing unemployment?

Angel demonstrates our next step perfectly. As she sits at the bottom of the mountain trying to get the world to stop spinning, she says exactly what you need to start saying all the time.

“I’m OK…

I’m OK!”

Make ‘I am OK’ your mantra.

Say it to your face every morning. Wake up, look yourself in the eye and say, “I’m OK!” Don’t replay the fall over and over in your head. Give it a thorough post-mortem and learn what you need to from the experience. Then you need to let it go and move on. Throughout the day, when doubt and fear creeps into your mind, go back to that mantra, “I am OK!”

We can’t stop there. All the self-talk in the world isn’t going to make climbing back up that mountain easier. What does Angel do? At the end of the video, she tells her spotters on the radio, “I can go back up and get my $#*!, too.” Angel takes complete responsibility for getting herself back up the mountain to get her skis and contents from her bag.

Own your trial.

This doesn’t mean you need to make that journey through unemployment alone. It means you are not wasting energy on being angry or blaming someone else for your situation. This is precious energy.

More importantly, you can put that energy into being proactive. You are the only one who can get yourself back up that mountain. Update your resume. Apply for jobs. Get out and network!

Most of all, ask for help. Most clients I work with say, “I wish I had asked for help sooner.” So…

Where can you go for help?

If you have worked to obtain any advanced education, contact your university or institution’s career services department. Set up an appointment and have those professionals review your resume rather than the friend you have that works in Human Resources. See what other services that career counselor can provide.

Next, if you are in the United States, find the nearest career job center. http://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/service-locator.aspx

Most of these centers have career counselors who can be of assistance. Ask what programs and help are available to you. In Utah, it’s the Department of Workforce Services where we have a full time job coaching program, Wo

rk Success. Different states have different programs, so please ask what they can do for you!

Get out of your comfort zone.

Did you know nearly 80% of job opportunities are found by networking and not advertised on an online job board? Develop a marketing message, print job search business cards, and hit the pavement. Network with your family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers at networking functions, Meet Ups (www.meetup.com), and even in the line at the grocery story.

Remember

All the while, make sure you keep that mantra: “I’m OK.” Because you are. You’ve got this. Build up your support system, and go climb back up this mountain.

How do I know this will work? More than teach it–I have lived it. In 2010, I found myself tumbling down the mountain of unemployment. My wife and I had just recently purchased our first home. Then, a month before I returned to work, my third son was born. Needless to say, we were under tremendous pressure, and not just financially.

As soon as I felt ‘OK’, took responsibility for getting back up the mountain with some minor help from an employment coach, and networked a little bit, I had more interviews and several employment offers.

If I can do it, so can you. Like I said: You’ve got this. Go climb that mountain, because you are OK.

References

Lindner, Stephan. “Lose your job, lose your family: Ho unemployment affects family stability.” The Urban Institude, 2014. http://www.urban.org/urban-wire/lose-your-job-lose-your-family-how-unemployment-affects-family-stability

Teton Gravity Research

http://www.tetongravity.com/video/ski/what-was-angel-collinson-thinking-while-she-tumbled-down-this-massive-coulo

www.acollinson.com