Unemployed - what do you do with yourself?

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Out of interest, those of you who are unemployed - what do you do with your spare time?

I've been unemployed for three years, it's hell.
I can't get voluntary work, I am doing a part-time college course but I don't know how to go about enrolling for anything else plus the job centre will just pull me out of college courses as they have done before. I've decorated my flat, I've helped people move, and I do a bit of promotional/activism work. I spend FAR too much time online, I was wasting my time quite nicely by being very lame and playing Farmville but it's too expensive now. I'm out of ideas on what the hell to do with myself...I need something constructive or a cheap hobby.

I can't wait till summer so I can at least get out the house more.

Car stuff...and touch myself...not very often though because other people touch me too.

Raise little people and pretend to do housework.

It's hard to be unemployed, it's difficult to even do the things I have time for like housework because there is no structure to my day unless I make one.

Things that I do with my time are: read, play with the dog, care for the dog, take care of the cat (play, feed etc), go on WP, research about whatever my secondary interest is at the time, try to beat my bf's Zuma score, plan dinner/dinner experiment and try to do some housework.

Hobbies help a lot, cooking is a hobby of mine and when I make something new that tastes really good, I feel a sense of achievement. I'm not saying to get into cooking but looking for something that gives you an intellectual buzz could possibly fill up your spare time a bit.

Last edited by LostAlien on 21 Feb 2011, 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

when I was unemployed I did performance part installs and routine maintenance for people around my block on their cars and looked online for work. other then that I went online a lot and tried to learn to cook but I never really made it past breakfast food and cookies in that regard =P

I've been unemployed for over two years. Not many jobs in my area but it is such a nice place for the kids and my health. I spent time learning, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign. I learned a bit of html for a website I designed and considering going back to school to earn another degree for computer science specializing in database management. You can spend time learning all the code it seems on the net but no company seems to care unless you have a certificate or degree. I also have an interest in audio engineering and have been learning the keyboard too. I don't won't to go back to school but have not been able to get an interview since my last job.

Just keep busy. Keep structure like you have a job. Make to do lists.

Um, sit at the computer, be anxious, watch telly, be anxious again, maybe talk to mum, be anxious, go bed, wake up anxious.
I think you can guess why I'm not working.

Sleep
Cuddle the cats
Go on WP
Play Bushwhacker, CSI and Treasure Isle on FB (I can sympathise with the whole Farmville thing, but I eventually got bored with it. Bushwhacker's far more fun!)
Pretend to sew
Look for jobs, then worry about applying for them until I'm so wound up I'm too anxious to apply
Check my email
Research random stuff online
Read
Watch TV
Chat with BF or mum
Walk friend's dogs
Think and plan. A lot.

I used to cook, but I put on so much weight, I had to stop .

I do loads of stuff, Im never board and always short of time, I dont know how people find time to work!

I do painting, and sewing, go running, do workout dvd's, go shopping, visit the library, go on nature walks, listen to the radio, read novels, read non fiction, read magazines, meditate, study degrees, watch dvds, lots of things, there is always lots to do.

I do nearly nothing spend the day in almost
desultory fashion. Might read, watch tv
go on the internet, pace up and down. I am
finding it increasing diffucult to focus on anything
could be depression not going back on any pills
through.

I paint. write, look for work and play a lot of Wii.

Take classes in college in my spare time if i can.. otherwise I enjoy MMO's and reading.

collect pink pics
collect aches and ails and dust and disorder
spend way too much time on WP
when i'm not on WP i'm on another 'puter doing digital audio restoration on my voluminous collection of corrupted sound files
when i'm not doing anything on either 'puter, i'm out bicycling 'round my corner of north mason county
sometimes i manage to squeeze in some time for reading my towering backlog of magazines and books.

This.

I mainly work on hobbies/interests/research/projects, meditate, go out walking or cycling, read, help my family out.

My wife works, so I try to help out with household things, with mixed results. I do all the shopping too.

I'm still collecting unemployment, so I try to find jobs to apply to each week. Maybe once a month I'll get an interview. I wish I could find a job, but the economy is bad where I'm at. I don't know how much AS is a factor, I generally can "pass" well enough in public, but I'm sure potential employers probably don't connect with me as well as they would someone else. But most of my job problems right now are due to lack of experience.

I play way too many games on the computer. I read, although not as much as I'd like.

When I was unemployed, I did some voluntary work. It looks good on your CV.

I've been thinking of doing some voluntary work again actually - but only for one day a week.