What I've learned while being voluntarily unemployed for 2 months

1. It's really ok to sleep in.  You're not lazy or uninspired.  You worked for almost half your life, take a break and rest.  It's all good.
2. Exercise.  Since you're not working and walking around the office or sitting on your butt working at a desk...you have to move or you will begin to experience some less than pleasant weight gain which may make you more depressed.
3. It may be good to list out all of the things you wanted to do when you were working that you now have the freedom to do versus walking around your apartment in circles asking yourself "Now what do I do?"
4. Netflix is your friend and mortal enemy.  Binge watching can be very cathartic.  Binge watching for more than a few hours a day can be very non productive.  See #2.
5. Ask for help.  There are people out there who have actually experienced being unemployed.  It helps to ask for help so you don't feel so lost.   I have the awesome benefit of having a few mentors and life coaches that have been helping me along the way.  It's blessing to have people to talk to about everything that's been going on.
6. Make sure that before you quit any job for any reason that you are financially able to do it.  Luckily, I ran the numbers and determined that taking this big step in my life was fiscally responsible.  
7. Apply for Unemployment.  You worked for it and now it's time to cash in.  And I don't mean it's time to get your hair and nails "did".  This is for truly survival while in transition money.  Figure out what it will be allocated for and keep a detailed log of your job search.  You'll need to show proof of availability and the fact that you're not just binge watching Netflix and living "large" off your check.  
8. If you can, apply for COBRA or get a "survival" job that will provide you medical and dental insurance.  You just never know when your body decides to take a tailspin and you need to see a professional.  I have it just in case so I'm covered.  (Luckily, I paid my deductible too so it's not too painful).
9. Wishing for your dreams to be realized is a waste of time.  Action is the key to turning your dreams into a reality.  Do baby step dream goals.  You don't have to be accepting your Grammy, Tony, or whatever it is you strive to achieve- in my case, booking a gig and working on your websites are great tasks.  
10. Be easy on yourself!  I keep all of my rejection letters for music and work gigs because I believe that I keep trying- the right gig will find me.  Excessive optimism is really key.  
11. Keep it real.  My wise friend Mel has told me that maybe the reason I'm not getting the old jobs that I used to have is that they may not be what I need to be doing with my life anymore.  I've gotten more interviews for jobs where I don't have past working history in that industry.  Believe in your transferable skills.  
12. Detoxing off an antidepressant makes you feel worse than you did when you needed them.  The doctor took me off of one of my meds and I honestly felt like I had the flu and menopause at the same time.  Sadly they are "normal" side effects of the medication.  Knowing that it was a temporary experience helped me cope with the feelings a lot better.  I also tried my best to keep up my daily exercise routine and listened to my body when it needed rest.
13. Keep in touch with friends and family.  You're not a social pariah.  Support is exactly what you need during this transitional phase.  Your friends and family can also offer some really great emotional support.  I've learned a lot more about my friends and family during this new phase in my life.  There is a stronger sense of clarity and closeness.
14. Document what's happening.  This blog is my outlet.  Journaling or just even jotting down lessons learned and putting them in a memory jar will help you get the thoughts out of your head.
15. Do stuff!  Remember that list of stuff that you've always wanted to do when you were working?  Do it!  Go to museums, tour your city/town as tourist, read books, or unplug.  I'm trying to adapt one of my friend's unplugged Sundays into my routine.  It's tough because I'm always connected.  I'm turning things off and reading.  Without the TV on and music playing.  You know what?  It's pretty - dare I say- relaxing.  I'm also going to really reasonable (free) Meditation classes at the Shambala center in town.  I almost got suckered into another meditation program that cost over $1000.  Doing a little more research helped me save money and literally gave me a better peace of mind.  
16. Just because you're not working doesn't mean you're not significant.  I changed my standard verbal resume from Corporate blah blah blah- making my company my identity to telling people who ask that I'm finding my own joy.  Ain't that a trip Joy finding her own joy! It's been very cathartic telling my story and being motivated to keep living my story not to make my parents or the company I work for happy but to finally make me happy.  
17. Stop being what you think you should be.  One of my parents' friends gave me some great advice.  Stop being what you think you should be.  Be who you want to be.  I think I've lived most of my life doing what my parents and family thought was suitable for success.  Whatever I wind up doing - I need to remember that it's time to determine what success means to me- not to anyone else.  That may be, saying "no" or taking on a new skill.  Whatever it is...do it for you.  
18. Internships can be for adults too.  While I'm searching for my joy, I'm looking at fields where I've always been interested in exploring.  I've been interning at an advertising agency for over a month and it's been really cool.  I am learning about a totally interesting and creative field, building skills that I can add to my resume and it's also educated me about an industry that has been a mystery to me for so many years.  It's not Mad Men at the office.  It's not that glamorous but the creativity and open mindedness is so contagious.  It's been a great experience. P.S. I get to work from home- double score!
19. Stick to your plan.  I started to get really comfortable with this time off.  However, my plan states that I need to keep on keeping on.  I need to have a solid revenue stream before year end.  So I can't keep living in La La Land.  I need to keep my eye on the prize and get this website off the ground and get some music gigs booked.  Theatrically, I was cast in another play "The Miracle Worker" and play the head of housekeeping -Viney.  This role and others will hopefully (one the grants start coming in) result in a paying full time acting gig.  YAY!  In the meantime, this sista needs to stay focused on the plan!