Underemployment and identity.Research shows that underemployment – working for fewer hours, less pay, or beneath one’s educational/skill level – may be as harmful to mental health than being completely without paid work. [1] Why might that be? Certainly a decrease in income can be stressful. But being completely unemployed would probably produce even more financial stress, meaning it should be even more stressful. So that doesn’t explain it. Maybe working fewer hours than you

At some point or another, life tears even the best people apart and it’s not always malicious or intentional. It’s just the way things happen. Television lied to us about adulthood. Most of us grew up watching “F.R.I.E.N.D.S.,” “How I Met Your Mother,” or, more recently, “New Girl.” And these shows promised big things for our twenties and thirties. We were supposed to move to a new city, stumble into the closest bar and suddenly find ourselves wrapped up in a group of goofy c

While the stress of losing a job can seem overwhelming, there are supportive steps you can take to regain a sense of stability, rebuild your confidence, and move forward with clarity. The Stress of Losing a Job Whether you have been laid off, downsized, forced into early retirement, or impacted by shrinking contract opportunities, losing work is one of life’s most stressful experiences. Beyond financial pressure, unemployment can deeply affect your mental, emotional, and rela