It's been nearly 2 months since I was laid off. I've been on unemployment benefits for one month. My severance pay lasted one month.

I've basically been taking a vacation while applying for at least 1 job per week. I've gone to the beach once a week, and I've collected myself. I needed some serious down time after my last work experience to bring my mental health back to a better level.

And I do feel better now. This time has been beneficial for me. For a while, I was scared to return to work right away due to my fear of facing yet another toxic work environment. And I was angry about what had happened at my last job.

Now I am ready to turn my attention more seriously to the job search. I may take some webinars to refresh my knowledge and skills - freebie ones, of course, because I have very little funds from unemployment.

I am ready to put my last job behind me and move on. So that's good. I am glad and grateful that I've had this time to regroup.