Why do most people feel bored and depressed without a job?

BlimpGaz

Years ago, when I worked for the Social Welfare Office, I remember that when the unemployed would come in for an assessment, I would often overhear them tell our staff:

“I would much rather be working than collecting the dole. When I’m working, I have pride and purpose. I earn my money. And my weekends mean something. But when I’m unemployed, my weekends have no value. I don’t enjoy them.”

Frankly, I never understood this mentality that most Irish people have.

I remember during my periods of unemployment, people would occasionally ask me “Aren’t you bored?” which would bewilder me, since how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want, get up whenever they want, eat whenever they want, etc.? Isn’t it far more boring and mind numbing to be under constant surveillance as a slave 8 to 9 hours a day, against your will, doing something you don’t want (most people’s jobs are not aligned with their interests after all), just for the money and because you “have to”? So I never understood this logic that said that your life is boring without a job and exciting with one.

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. With a million interests, I can always find something to do when I’m not working. Here is a list of examples off the top of my head:

- There are an unlimited amount of good interesting books I can read, in all areas of interest.
- There are an unlimited number of great films to watch that I’m interested in.
- There is a unlimited variety of music I can listen to.
- With the advent of the internet of course, there is an unlimited endless number of things I can do online, more than I could ever have time for.
- There are many hobbies I can indulge in – writing books and articles, learning to draw or paint, or learning any new skill or craft, etc.
- Outdoor activities, parks, hiking, swimming, sports, boating, etc. And if you live near a park, all the better.
- Travel the world or around the country.
- There are an unlimited number of interesting people out there to meet and spend time with too (unless they are all working), especially if you are in a country where people are more open, communal, inclusive and less isolated.
- I can go shopping.
- I can learn to cook and prepare meals, or bake cookies
- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

The list is endless as you can see. And the above can never be completely exhausted either. So how the hell can you have nothing to do if you’re unemployed? That makes no sense and seems like a cheap brainwashing tactic of society. I also don’t see why I have to feel “guilty” for doing what I want if I’m unemployed. In fact, even if I did nothing during my free time except sit around and daydream with my active rich imagination, I’d still be far more entertained than working a typical job of drudgery.

In my last job when I was eventually laid off due to budget cuts, my co-workers felt pity for me and expected me to feel bad and take it hard. But in reality, I was in a state of euphoria, as though I were being released from jail (much like how I felt when I got out of secondary school) and about to regain my freedom again. My time and life would again be mine, and it was something to look forward to and be excited about, especially since I had plans to go overseas that summer to Bulgaria and now had an excuse to extend my trip. This perplexed my co-workers, who believed that your job was your life and reason for living. Unlike me, they all “lived to work” and assumed that everyone else did too.

Mr.Crinklewood

I'll employ someone to read all that.

Bipolar Joe

People get depressed because people working piss all over them about being a "dole scrounger".

The Backwards Man

For someone so concerned with boredom and depression your threads don't do an awful lot to alleviate them.

Fromthetrees

Money buys you real freedom.

The dole is never going to give you real freedom, unless you sell drugs or your ass for extra cash.

For Forks Sake

Popcorn. Check.
Beer. Check.
Chair at relaxed angle. Check.

As you were people.

HazDanz

Try the dole for an extended period of time. It is mind crushingly boring and the sheer amount of time to think will leave you feeling like sh*t.

Massive sympathy to people who are stuck on it.

NuckingFacker

I'd be with you OP. I care less if there's work or not, I'd be busy doing my own stuff anyway. Perversly, being like that almost guarantees you are never anything but busy.

cursai

I feel bored and depressed working!

krudler

I was off work for a few months ill and only found it boring occasionally, between movies, books and t'internet I could keep myself entertained, being sick was a pain obviously and the lack of money to do much else was too but if I could afford to I'd never work a day job or for someone else.

Potentially Toxic

Excellent post op. don't forget that you are free to learn languages and excercise as well. Then you can educate yourself in numerous areas of interest at your local library.

Because people have been conditioned that having to do things is a good thing. I include myself in that to some degree unfortunately but at least I know it's stupid.

brummytom

I only finished Uni a few weeks ago, and I'm already dying of boredom. I can't get a job, and all my friends work full time. Because I can't get a job, I don't have money to even pay off my overdraft, let alone spend anything.

I'd much rather be doing something constructive (and getting paid!).

castletownman

BlimpGaz wrote: »

- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

.

Aren't you Mr.Popular

BlimpGaz

Fromthetrees wrote: »

Money buys you real freedom.

The dole is never going to give you real freedom, unless you sell drugs or your ass for extra cash.

What more could you want more than the bare minimum? The internet keeps me perfectly entertained and is cost efficient. Do you really need a bunch of "status symbols" such as fancy clothes, a big house, nice car etc.?

BobbyPropane

Believe it or not it is quite difficult to do these things. Some people need something to keep themselves occupied, a sense of normality and routine. Without it they begin to analysis ourselves which can lead to obsession over small things and hence depression.

smcgiff

Just looking at your list of activities OP.

How much is YOUR dole?

Potentially Toxic

BobbyPropane wrote: »

Believe it or not it is quite difficult to do these things. People need something to keep themselves occupied, a sense of normality and routine. Without it we begin to analysis ourselves which can lead to obsession over small things and hence depression.

Speak for yourself

Tisserand

HazDanz wrote: »

Try the dole for an extended period of time. It is mind crushingly boring and the sheer amount of time to think will leave you feeling like sh*t.

Massive sympathy to people who are stuck on it.

100% agree after being unemployed for almost 3 years now. It was a great novelty at first, having worked continuously for 27 years - being able to have lie-ins in the morning, not having to be somewhere five days a week etc. Then the hope fades the longer it goes on with getting no job interviews. You need a certain amount of money to really enjoy your time off, the dole only offers subsistence and rightly so otherwise nobody would work, they would be on the dole. For me it's not necessarily that I would prefer to be working, it's that I would prefer to have more money so I could afford the things I enjoy doing.

Bipolar Joe

BlimpGaz wrote: »

What more could you want more than the bare minimum? The internet keeps me perfectly entertained and is cost efficient. Do you really need a bunch of "status symbols" such as fancy clothes, a big house, nice car etc.?

Maybe they want to learn music, start a band. I'm lucky to have gotten all the things I need for that stuff before I became unemployed, there's no way I could afford it now. There's more hobbies than having "fancy clothes." That's a really dumb thing to say.

BobbyPropane

Potentially Toxic wrote: »

Speak for yourself

Woops, probably did generalise a bit too much

JohnMarston

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

To be honest, i'd rather feel that i earned my money than handed it. Its easy for your self-worth to be tied up in the fact that you are working a job for wages, in fact you almost do it without thinking. Your pride and self-esteem can be adversely affected if you're let go, whether or not you have other endeavours outside of your 9 to 5 grind.
Im far from being bored, but you can get fed up big time just knowing that you're less productive than you could be

dr.bollocko

If we got everyone on AH to endorse everyone else on AH on LinkedIn then we'd be the most employed forum on boards.

When you're of a certain age it becomes enticing to take time off. Youth and freedom are attractive mistresses. There are merits to indulging your hobbies and passions. Over time this can change to a point where your career and not your personal endeavours will becomes a source of self esteem. Eventually one or the other has to pay the bills.

Bipolar Joe

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If we got everyone on AH to endorse everyone else on AH on LinkedIn then we'd be the most employed forum on boards.

When you're of a certain age it becomes enticing to take time off. Youth and freedom are attractive mistresses. There are merits to indulging your hobbies and passions. Over time this can change to a point where your career and not your personal endeavours will becomes a source of self esteem. Eventually one or the other has to pay the bills.

Pretty much this, and having turned two of my passions into jobs in the past, I learned that I want to keep the two separate. Relying on the things I love doing to pay the bills guarantees me that I'll never move beyond where I am now, financially.

Fromthetrees

BlimpGaz wrote: »

What more could you want more than the bare minimum? The internet keeps me perfectly entertained and is cost efficient. Do you really need a bunch of "status symbols" such as fancy clothes, a big house, nice car etc.?

No, not at all, it's just that money buys you freedom, the more money you have the more freedom you have. The internet can keep you perfectly entertained all you want, it's outside your home that costs money.

It's great that the dole affords people a certain standard of living but lets call a spade a spade here, more money = more freedom.

I wouldn't call having new clothes, a car, big tv with a package, holidays, nice food or health insurance ect. "status symbols", it just makes your life more comfortable, more 'free'. And btw way I haven't left Ireland on a holiday for a couple of years, I'm just saying these things are just what most people want.

BlimpGaz

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) but per hour. And even more, it's 100% tax free. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

Bipolar Joe

Your troll skin is showing, Gaz.

Muff_Daddy

BlimpGaz wrote: »

What more could you want more than the bare minimum? The internet keeps me perfectly entertained and is cost efficient. Do you really need a bunch of "status symbols" such as fancy clothes, a big house, nice car etc.?

The 'bare minimum' for most people in this country costs a lot more than the social welfare pays, think of a family of 5 struggling with a mortgage.

This feeling of not being able to provide without a job is what can lead people to depression.

P_1

BlimpGaz wrote: »

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) BUT PER HOUR!! And even more, IT'S 100% TAX FREE!!! AND THEY GET IT BY SIMPLY RECEIVING SEXUAL PLEASURE!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for my over-enthusiasm, I'm just baffled by this issue. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

Probably social norms would have turned most people off such an idea I would have guessed

castletownman

Maybe his username should be edited to PimpGaz

Mr Benevolent

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Years ago, when I worked for the Social Welfare Office, I remember that when the unemployed would come in for an assessment, I would often overhear them tell our staff:

“I would much rather be working than collecting the dole. When I’m working, I have pride and purpose. I earn my money. And my weekends mean something. But when I’m unemployed, my weekends have no value. I don’t enjoy them.”

Frankly, I never understood this mentality that most Irish people have.

I remember during my periods of unemployment, people would occasionally ask me “Aren’t you bored?” which would bewilder me, since how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want, get up whenever they want, eat whenever they want, etc.? Isn’t it far more boring and mind numbing to be under constant surveillance as a slave 8 to 9 hours a day, against your will, doing something you don’t want (most people’s jobs are not aligned with their interests after all), just for the money and because you “have to”? So I never understood this logic that said that your life is boring without a job and exciting with one.

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. With a million interests, I can always find something to do when I’m not working. Here is a list of examples off the top of my head:

- There are an unlimited amount of good interesting books I can read, in all areas of interest.
- There are an unlimited number of great films to watch that I’m interested in.
- There is a unlimited variety of music I can listen to.
- With the advent of the internet of course, there is an unlimited endless number of things I can do online, more than I could ever have time for.
- There are many hobbies I can indulge in – writing books and articles, learning to draw or paint, or learning any new skill or craft, etc.
- Outdoor activities, parks, hiking, swimming, sports, boating, etc. And if you live near a park, all the better.
- Travel the world or around the country.
- There are an unlimited number of interesting people out there to meet and spend time with too (unless they are all working), especially if you are in a country where people are more open, communal, inclusive and less isolated.
- I can go shopping.
- I can learn to cook and prepare meals, or bake cookies
- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

The list is endless as you can see. And the above can never be completely exhausted either. So how the hell can you have nothing to do if you’re unemployed? That makes no sense and seems like a cheap brainwashing tactic of society. I also don’t see why I have to feel “guilty” for doing what I want if I’m unemployed. In fact, even if I did nothing during my free time except sit around and daydream with my active rich imagination, I’d still be far more entertained than working a typical job of drudgery.

In my last job when I was eventually laid off due to budget cuts, my co-workers felt pity for me and expected me to feel bad and take it hard. But in reality, I was in a state of euphoria, as though I were being released from jail (much like how I felt when I got out of secondary school) and about to regain my freedom again. My time and life would again be mine, and it was something to look forward to and be excited about, especially since I had plans to go overseas that summer to Bulgaria and now had an excuse to extend my trip. This perplexed my co-workers, who believed that your job was your life and reason for living. Unlike me, they all “lived to work” and assumed that everyone else did too.

Ahem. NO. MONEY.

Get it?

Tom_Cruise

When you are working you have no little time to do things but have the money to do them.

When you are on the dole you have all the time in the world to do things, but no money to do them.


Or you can be like me, 10k a day CEO of a multinational company working 5 hours a week and traveling the world hooking up with Swedish models and celebrities every night at VIP nightclubs while drinking 30,000 euro bottles of champagne.

The thing is, who has the money to really enjoy themselves when they're unemployed? I'm not a materialistic person, but I love travelling - how can you do that if you don't have a job? I don't know many people whose hobbies and interests are completely free.

Tisserand

BlimpGaz wrote: »

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) but per hour. And even more, it's 100% tax free. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

....Gets coat....removes bulb from light fitting in porch and replaces it with a red one...will keep ye posted

BlimpGaz

Muff_Daddy wrote: »

The 'bare minimum' for most people in this country costs a lot more than the social welfare pays, think of a family of 5 struggling with a mortgage.

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

pwurple

You may eventually feel bad about taking money from others and not giving anything in return. Depends on your morals and ethics.

BlimpGaz

pwurple wrote: »

You may eventually feel bad about taking money from others and not giving anything in return. Depends on your morals and ethics.

"Morality" has been scientifically proven to be a fiction, and a man-made intellectual construct for the weak masses who need to believe in an eternal creator god to get by in life. If you were rich, would you still hold onto your ideals of morality? Didn't think so.

harney

BlimpGaz wrote: »

I was going to start another thread with this question, but I guess I can simply ask it here:

Why don't more females in developed nations sell their bodies for cash? The average prostitute ears €200 not per week, not even per day (which itself would be great enough) but per hour. And even more, it's 100% tax free. You'd think at least half the population of females in our country would take up this wonderful opportunity (at least those of appropriate age and attractiveness) but alas most of the prostitutes here are foreign.

You're really asking where you can find cheaper prostitutes, aren't you? Try a regional forum, they'd probably have better local knowledge.

deco nate

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

you are a ****e troll...pac ****in pac!

and you are a re-reg!

BlimpGaz

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Dig up my other threads, listen to my wisdom, and save yourself the ghastly abomination of the situation you described ever happening to you.

In short, I got a vasectomy three weeks after my son was born. It was at that time I realized what a mistake I made by engaging in risky sex. Nowadays I can have as much unprotected sex as I like, and it's physically impossible for me to get any female pregnant again. It baffles me how vasectomies aren't a lot more common. Must mean rational men are very much uncommon. :pac:

You're not going to enjoy your life as much when you've got the AIDS.

Dunny

Too busy counting my wages to read the OP tbh

starviewadams

Was unemployed for a fair few months in 2009 and thinking back these were some of the reasons I felt down:

Isolation from friends who are working and can afford nights out,holidays etc.

Fear of never getting another job because you've been unemployed for a certain amount of time,and of being branded a waster/loser etc.

No money for anything bar the bare essentials,sometimes even no money for those.

Not being to say anything when people ask you what you've been up to,what you do etc.

Bored/lonely with nothing meaningful to do every day.

harney

BlimpGaz wrote: »

Years ago, when I worked for the Social Welfare Office, I remember that when the unemployed would come in for an assessment, I would often overhear them tell our staff:

“I would much rather be working than collecting the dole. When I’m working, I have pride and purpose. I earn my money. And my weekends mean something. But when I’m unemployed, my weekends have no value. I don’t enjoy them.”

Frankly, I never understood this mentality that most Irish people have.

I remember during my periods of unemployment, people would occasionally ask me “Aren’t you bored?” which would bewilder me, since how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want, get up whenever they want, eat whenever they want, etc.? Isn’t it far more boring and mind numbing to be under constant surveillance as a slave 8 to 9 hours a day, against your will, doing something you don’t want (most people’s jobs are not aligned with their interests after all), just for the money and because you “have to”? So I never understood this logic that said that your life is boring without a job and exciting with one.

Obviously, society conditions you to believe that your life is boring, meaningless, devoid of purpose, and ultimately depressing if you don’t have a JOB or regular employment, as if you were only half a man without one.

But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. With a million interests, I can always find something to do when I’m not working. Here is a list of examples off the top of my head:

- There are an unlimited amount of good interesting books I can read, in all areas of interest.
- There are an unlimited number of great films to watch that I’m interested in.
- There is a unlimited variety of music I can listen to.
- With the advent of the internet of course, there is an unlimited endless number of things I can do online, more than I could ever have time for.
- There are many hobbies I can indulge in – writing books and articles, learning to draw or paint, or learning any new skill or craft, etc.
- Outdoor activities, parks, hiking, swimming, sports, boating, etc. And if you live near a park, all the better.
- Travel the world or around the country.
- There are an unlimited number of interesting people out there to meet and spend time with too (unless they are all working), especially if you are in a country where people are more open, communal, inclusive and less isolated.
- I can go shopping.
- I can learn to cook and prepare meals, or bake cookies
- I can call my many friends on the phone from all over the world

The list is endless as you can see. And the above can never be completely exhausted either. So how the hell can you have nothing to do if you’re unemployed? That makes no sense and seems like a cheap brainwashing tactic of society. I also don’t see why I have to feel “guilty” for doing what I want if I’m unemployed. In fact, even if I did nothing during my free time except sit around and daydream with my active rich imagination, I’d still be far more entertained than working a typical job of drudgery.

In my last job when I was eventually laid off due to budget cuts, my co-workers felt pity for me and expected me to feel bad and take it hard. But in reality, I was in a state of euphoria, as though I were being released from jail (much like how I felt when I got out of secondary school) and about to regain my freedom again. My time and life would again be mine, and it was something to look forward to and be excited about, especially since I had plans to go overseas that summer to Bulgaria and now had an excuse to extend my trip. This perplexed my co-workers, who believed that your job was your life and reason for living. Unlike me, they all “lived to work” and assumed that everyone else did too.

After spending 7 months on the dole in the UK it was a bit mind numbing, and not quite as generous as the Irish system by the sounds of it. A whole £71 per week, minus the £5.30 it cost me to travel by bus to the next town every two weeks for my dole interview.

The problem I found was that you had to at least appear, even to yourself all alone at home, to be looking for work during "working hours" which meant you couldn't sit back and do "enjoyable" stuff e.g. reading book or watching movies. I did tent to feel a bit guilty if I didn't do something that I felt was productive in my job hunt every day. The worst times were when you had gone through the second stage of an interview and then they drag out the answer by a week, only to deliver a no. Very deomoralising, and you don't know should you be sending out tons of cvs during that week or not (I eventually learned the answer is yes to that one).

I don't remember how the Irish system works, but over here you had to fill out some forms every two weeks and sit down for a 5 minute interview going through it showing what work you had applied for in the last two weeks.

In short I can't say I never watched a move or read a book during my dole stint but it was few and far between, and I felt very durty and a tad guilty if I did it during working hours

Brain Stroking

Lack of routine.

Agricola

I've a relative who works on a mind numbing factory line doing unsociable shifts every week of the year. Awhile back he was involved in a minor accident which meant he was on leave for 2/3 weeks while he healed. No major breaks, concussion and bruising etc. I would have expected him to be delighted about having some free time to do what he wanted to do for a change. If I'd been in his shoes, Id be reveling in the chance to have some lie-ins, read, go to the cinema at a normal hour etc etc, just ti basically have your life back from such an restrictive job. But after 3 days he was pulling his hair out, complaining about the boredom. Without the structure of his job, he just sat in his pants all day in the house staring at the wall and wishing his leave away.....

The mind fúcking boggles.

Greentopia

Fromthetrees wrote: »

No, not at all, it's just that money buys you freedom, the more money you have the more freedom you have.

Not necessarily. Money brings with it it's own responsibilities and worries too- How do I keep it safe? how do I know people like me for myself and not my money? I have to protect it and all my new shiny stuff bought with it with security. I have to protect my family more now from robbers, intruders and kidnappers. I have a certain lifestyle with all this money so therefore I have to work even harder to maintain it and never have the time to enjoy it, and that's just the start.

Money can give freedom from financial struggle it's true and an enhanced lifestyle if you're into the trinkets of consumerism but the freedom it does give you is often offset by worry and other problems.
I grew up around moneyed people, I've seen some of the problems it can bring.

And the only form of work that is empowering and freeing is work that is under one's own control, which most wage earners/slaves don't have.

Greentopia

Madeleine Rough Forceps wrote: »

The thing is, who has the money to really enjoy themselves when they're unemployed? I'm not a materialistic person, but I love travelling - how can you do that if you don't have a job? I don't know many people whose hobbies and interests are completely free.

Not a problem for an unemployed friend of mine who travels to different countries all the time. It's possible. He has no phone, no internet-uses the library-,no car, no kids, hardly any bills and loves travelling so he saves most of his dole to go to different places whenever he has enough money.
In the last two years he's been to Mexico twice, Portugal, Czech, Amsterdam, all over North Africa...

Not condoning it, though I am envious just saying that's what he does and it's possible.

AlekSmart

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

Maybe they want to learn music, start a band. I'm lucky to have gotten all the things I need for that stuff before I became unemployed, there's no way I could afford it now. There's more hobbies than having "fancy clothes." That's a really dumb thing to say.

This is something which is exercising my mind...

We all know of the huge role that Slavery,Oppression and later the Great Depression played in forming American (and inter alia World) Musical culture.

The awesome gritty stories of hardship,cruelty and eventually salvation which came from such greats as Bessie Smith,Leadbelly,Jelly Roll Morton,Robert Johnson,John Lee Hooker(!!) served to form so much of our musical background.

SO...given that Ireland is currently,if some are to be believed,being sucked dry by Austerity with it's people being trampled underfoot by the Irish equivalent of wealthy Plantation Owners,why are we not seeing a resurgence of the Irish Music scene...where are the New,Come all ye's to rival the many oul ones still being performed in sheebens throughout the land.

This is indeed not yer normal depression we're enduring,perhaps it's a special Irish version which does'nt stir the emotions as the olden days one's did ?

ringadingding

In other words, op wants to win the lotto and retire

LOI Stats

BlimpGaz wrote: »

how can one be bored when they have freedom to do what they want

It costs money to do pretty much anything these days.

Maybe you found it great personally, but I would be shocked if the vast majority of people who find themselves unemployed wouldn't prefer to be working.

Keeping the rent and bills is hard. You have to make a lot of sacrifices, which is fair enough, but to imply that it's a complete holiday camp is wrong.

zenno

I always found that strange how people say they are going mad when they have no work or are on the dole with nothing to do ?.

Do these people even have a working brain ? I mean when i was let go a while back and signed on the dole i kept waking up every morning at the time i had to go to work and then i would cop on a few seconds later with joy and a big smile on my face thinking i don't have to go in today.

So i wake up and have a cup of tea and think of what i am going to do for the day as i can do anything, so i decide to get back into learning the classical guitar of which i couldn't do before because i'd be knackered after a long day but now i could so i am still learning this and it's great, no boredom.

Then only 2 weeks ago i decided to learn html5 as i have all day to do so and it's progressing well and i have not felt any boredom yet, and when i need to leave the house i just hop into my car and drive to the beach for a long walk while listening to beautiful music, then come back home and do the weights for an hour and get stuck back into either the guitar or html programming learning and if it's a clear night i'll get stuck into watching the stars/planets and moon in astronomy with this telescope.

So i cannot understand how people feel bored if not in work ? these kind of people must have no life other than the work they are used to and cannot function when not in work which is sad. Surely people have interests outside of work and i don't mean going to the pub as that's brain-dead, i.e, not good for the brain. Watching tv will melt a persons brain within a few days.

If you have a lot of interests that you love, you will never be bored, ever. There's more to life than work work work, well easy for me as i have no kids which is great, i'm a free man.