Unemployment in the Netherlands!
I’ve been wondering lately if it’s possible or, let’s be more accurate, if it’s responsible to be dreaming about having holidays when you are unemployed?
As I had already mentioned in one of my previous posts, the fact that I don’t have a full time contracted job, doesn’t mean that I don’t keep myself busy (and I’m not saying busy like watching tv or painting my nails). My attempt to be proactive and keep myself engaged in different activities makes my head be spread all over, and sometimes trying to keep focused in various non-related projects each one with their own deadlines, subjects and lines of work can be challenging.
I do acknowledge that I don’t have to attend an office every day from 9 o’clock to 5 o’clock, and I don’t have to report back to any drastic boss, but there are times where I feel that I need to take a week off and have a break from my volunteering work, from sending CV’s, from checking my email, from visiting job boards, from worrying about no finding the job I want, and just go away to somewhere relaxing and nice, change atmosphere and do just do nothing. Or even better, just do things that involve leisure and pleasure like reading, swimming, walking, and why not, watching tv and painting my nails, and not feel guilty about it.
One of the readers of a previous blog post commented that taking a week off could be really helpful in times of job searching anxiety. I hope it does because I’m planning to go for a couple of days to the Scottish Islands, get disconnected and come back full of energy to carry on with the job hunting and all my other activities!
Unemployment in the Netherlands gives you ‘free’ time, but certainly not pleasure. It’s time for leisure!