Unemployment, how to manage it?

I sat idle for an year in 2022-2023 with 9 years of work ex. Got irritated, frustrated, felt depressed multiple time, had random rage incidents, cried, had severe anxiety after getting laid off from a high paying job.

But I sat daily at my desk and studied and wrote code.
Everything and many people went against me but I knew this that nothing is permanent in nature. Life is like a wave! Ups and downs are part of life. Eventually got some freelance work from 3 clients, kept looking for a permanent role. Got a 16% hike from my last job and happy now. Just one sentence, keep going no matter what the odds are!

I am going through a similar phase. Let's start a community for all such fellows ?

I have been through the same phase where i gave tons of interviews and never heard back. Have been unemployed for 7 months and have had moments where i thought i would never get hired again.

However, i had to fight these negative thoughts by focusing on other aspects of life such as spending time with family, fitness, being in touch with my friends who helped me keep my morale up. Finally, i made it through and got 2 offers (after being rejected by 12 companies)

I would say that things happen for a reason. Just don’t give up and trust me times do change. Use this time to pursue your hobbies, polish your skill sets, learn from your interviews to avoid the mistakes at your next one. Don’t let your job define you.

An update guys, I got a job at a fintech company

In similar boat, the planned return to work is taking longer than I thought. That being said - I am also looking to consult on projects with early stage startups to cover expenses and extend runway as I like the the time I have to do other things and happy to wait for good role fitment from both org and my side