Laid off 101

Alma shares 10 fun things she has discovered to do with her time off…

Stuck in cubicle, day after day, I would often dream of all the fun and exciting things I could be doing if I only had free time. So when I was laid off and had oodles of free time, what did I do? Sat in my pajamas watching old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD while eating Chinese food. When I woke up late one Wednesday morning smelling vaguely of chow lo mein, I knew I had developed Boredomism: a strange phenomenon that strikes thousands of unemployed people with no idea how to fill up their newfound time off. Since no 12-step programs exist to relieve boredom, I’ve come up with 10 ideas I hope with help fill the time during your quest to find meaningful employment.

1. Pretend you’re a tourist and explore your town. One day, I decided to get “lost” in my hometown, Staten Island, and I ended up discovering Every Thing Goes, a vintage bookstore and café that not only has an awesome selection of used books, but also offers free entertainment at night, including poetry readings, drumming circles and belly dancing! Visit etgstores for more information.
2. Since I have to stretch my bucks, I’ve decided to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes: freebie hunting! How it works is you search for as many things and activities you can engage in without spending a cent. Websites such as slickdeals.net or craigslist.org offer tons of freebies. If you live near New York, you can also take advantage of some of the free haircuts given by Bumble and Bumble hair salons or sample some fruits and cheese at the Union Square Greenmarket.
3. Olivia Newton-John said it best: Let’s get physical! Most mornings, you can find me cursing at old exercise tapes of Kathy Kaehler, working on my glutes. If at-home workouts don’t appeal to you, move that body to a gym. Popular chains like Bally’s and Crunch offer free trial passes, or for $75 a year, you can work out at any NYC recreation center in the in the five boroughs. Visit http://www.nycgovparks.org/ for more information. 
4. Stay up late. When I was working, I hated going to bed early. Now I can stay up as late as I want listening to music, watching old movies, or, if I want to go out, I can meet friends for drinks and dancing. I’m also planning to ride in the Moonlight Ride bike run in Central Park hosted by the nonprofit Time’s Up! Visit http://times-up.org/index.php for more information. 
5. Want to learn a new language? Cook a gourmet meal? Or even learn to juggle? Make a list of everything you ever wanted to learn and go take a class. Many colleges offer continuing education courses for graduates. The Learning Annex also offers seminars on everything from jewelry making to how to find your soul mate.
6. Date. If you’re married, congratulations. If you’re single, now’s the best time to go on lots of dates. Think about it: If you meet that special person, you’ll now have the time and energy it takes to make a serious relationship work.
7. Set a world record. It’s much cooler than collecting bottle caps (seriously, I know people) or chasing  some C-list celebrity autograph, and a lot more fun. It’s also a very cool conversation starter. Visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com to find out how to get started.
8. Reconnect with old friends. How many friendships have suffered over the years because you were too busy at work? Invite friends out to lunch and catch up on their lives.
9. Visit the library and take out all the books and DVDs you can carry for days you want to chill out at home. If you don’t see what you want, reserve it with the librarian or go the library’s website. Did I mention everything is free?
10. Blog it out. If you’re still bored after trying tips 1-9, then try writing about it on the Internet. It’s therapeutic, it’s easy to do, and there is always someone who will read and commiserate with you. Type “How to start a blog” in the Google search engine for tips.

Image by: Vetto