Unemployment caused by the current COVID pandemic has caused thousands to be unemployed. The sudden onset of the pandemic and efforts to lockdown had a negative effect on business which in turned caused many to become unemployed.

In turn millions applied for unemployment benefits all at once overloading state benefit systems with outdated technology. This is also become a breeding ground for unemployment insurance fraud. Here are ten things to watch out for to avoid unemployment scams.

Setting yourself as a top priority in your life is not only good for you, but it is also good for those who share your life. When you learn to take care of and value yourself, you are more emotionally healthy and available to take care of others. When you learn to appreciate and trust yourself, you can be more open and honest with those in your life, too.

Learning to value yourself is not selfish; it is necessary. Valuing yourself means you become a better person and make stronger choices for yourself. Here are five ways you can learn to start appreciating yourself more and ensuring you are the most critical person in your life.

Facing a layoff can be difficult. The next thing to do is to start a job search. This episode shows 8 ways to get started. 

Facing unemployment may cause the individual to think what they need to next. The obvious thing is to do a job search. But where do you start? These 8 tips can help with this.

What’s your outlook on life? Psychologists believe our mental outlook is a combination of four parts:

• How we see our abilities

• How we cope with stress

• How productive we are

• How we contribute to society

Most people will tell you that a positive mental outlook will help in dealing with life challenges. Creating a positive mental outlook means focusing on these four parts.

When facing unemployment due to a layoff it is easy to give blame on something else. Issues beyond our control cause us to lose employment. But this causes us to lose focus on what needs to be done to take the next step.

Unemployment can also cause stress in life. Because there are factors beyond our control we can shift these factors as targets for blame. But this only causes distraction from moving forward.

People and situations are easy scapegoats to blame for your stress overload, but blaming others rarely solves anything and tends to make you even more stressed. A better option is to take responsibility for your own happiness and find a way to relieve your stress.

When individuals are laid off and have to deal with unemployment a certain level of stress develops. As unemployment continues it leads to chronic stress. There are healthy ways to deal with this type of stress.

When you hear the word stress or see it written before you, you know what it is, right? However, if you were to define it you would probably find that your response differs from thousands of others.

Turning to drugs and alcohol will only provide temporary relief and fuel other health issues, so it’s important that you know how to cope appropriately when experiencing chronic stress.

Everyone faces challenges in life. Unemployment is one of them. If you’re struggling with life’s challenges, you may not be dealing with them in the most constructive ways. Psychologists have found that people who deal well with life’s challenges practice positive thinking patterns.

Here are four constructive ways that can help you:

· Focus on What is Important

· Tackle Problems

· Practice Gratitude

· Build a Support System

It’s not fair. Why did this have to happen to me? Working with individuals who have been out of work I often hear these statements. There is an underlying feeling of anger in their situation.

We all experience anger from time to time, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But, letting anger control your life can leave you feeling stressed out and upset all the time. Anger is a normal and healthy emotion, but it is crucial that you learn to respond to this strong emotion in healthy, positive ways.

Facing a layoff and pending unemployment can seem like a challenge. But that challenge can be faced when you use four key life skills.