Unemployment is no joke. Not only is it financially troubling, it can lead to issues of self-esteem, loss of social engagement, and anxiety for you and your family. I know because I spent 6 months unemployed last year. It was the longest 6 months of my life. Many nights, I would lie awake wondering what I would do, how I would pay my bills, how I would support my family. It was among the most anxious times of my life. Now, millions of Americans are facing the same thing. There are some benefits—recent bills passed by congress make unemployment more sustainable compared to non-crisis unemployment. But still, it’s a blow not just to one’s bank account, but to one’s ego. Because you’ve lost your routine, you need to recreate one. This is cliche, but it’s cliche for a reason. Wake up at the same time every day, shower, shave, get dressed fully—take care fo your basic appearance as if you were going to work. Then, you should be putting in the hours you were working into two things: finding a new job and making new money. That means 8 hours a day minimum. Finding a new job is obviously difficult under the current conditions, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be on LinkedIn, Monster, Indeed and beyond prowling for new work. Some companies have announced massive hiring sprees in the face of the coronavirus. Look into where those opportunities are coming up in your city or town and weigh if you’re healthy enough to do them. The second thing you should be doing is finding a way to make money from the comfort of your own home. For me, I used Try2BFunded. As someone who was unemployed, I didn’t want to put any of my precious savings on the line. That’s what turned me away from playing the stock market in a variety of other ways. Try2BFunded gave me access to $100,000 to trade with. That meant my nest egg stayed untouched. The catch, if you can call it that, is that Try2BFunded makes you prove that you can trade well enough consistently before you get access to the $100,000. For me, that was a good thing. I didn’t know enough about trading, so it was essential for me to have some leeway to learn the trade. They call this the qualifying round—that’s where the “try” comes in. For most people, it takes about 6 weeks to make it past the qualifying round. It took me 6 and a half. But I learned lessons about investing that will last far longer. Now that you’re filling your extra hours with searching for employment and generating income, you should also take a moment to step back and focus on your mental and physical health. Unemployment is an exhausting phenomenon. If you’re not careful, it can get the better of you. Make sure you stay on top of it.