Rebounding from the Recession

Last year, I had to deal with the stress that comes with being unemployed and trying to find a job at the age of 55. The experience is not one I want to go through again. However, I did learn a lot about managing my emotional health.

I had retired from teaching and thought that my family could still make ends meet. However, my wife and I found ourselves living pay check to pay check. The stress of that situation was not something we could endure for a long time.

I turned to a couple of simple strategies to keep my head on straight, refrain from getting demoralized and come out of the other end healthier than I was before retirement. In this video, I review what kept me going:

• Full time job mentality - I treated my job search with the discipline, dignity and detail that I would treat a paying job.
• Getting off "the island" - I asked my friends and family to help me in specific ways. This way I could stop feeling like I was on an island by myself.
• Running to a job - I stepped up my game when it came to my health. This allowed me to accomplish a lot while I was dealing with job rejections.

My point, quite frankly, is that unemployment does not need to be a taboo subject. It happens to the best of us and we keep on going. If you think any of your friends or family would learn from my experience, feel free to send along this video. I'd be happy to answer questions in the comments section.

I'll also keep you updated on how I deal with emotional stress, especially as I get closer to a major milestone - running the Marine Corps Marathon in 2013.

What inspired you to stay motivated after an event that you perceived as a big setback?

Many others are talking about how they deal with emotional stress over on our Facebook page.

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Editor's Note: Harold Shaw is a grandfather, retired US Coast Guard officer and a runner. He posts updates on his training for the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon every Tuesday at Real Health. He welcomes a lively conversation in the comments section.