We tend to think that unemployment is a bad thing.

Losing a job seems to be the height of catastrophe. And, in some cases, it really is a huge setback. After all, your job provides you with the income you need to survive, and unemployment benefits can rarely supply the amount you are missing.

Without your job, it can be difficult to make mortgage payments, buy food, and meet other obligations. However, unemployment doesn’t have to be all bad.

If you plan matters right, your time unemployed can actually be of benefit to you.

Here’s how to make unemployment an opportunity:

Build New Career Skills

If you didn’t like your last job, this might be your chance to try out a new career path. While you do need to devote some of your time looking for a new job, or perhaps working a part-time job, you don’t have to focus on finding work similar to the work you hated doing before.

Instead, think about developing new career skills that can lead to a new job. Think about how your current skills could translate to a new career, and find out what different skills you need to succeed in a career that you find more fulfilling.

Then, use some of your time on unemployment to develop those skills.

Start a Business

Perhaps you have been on the fence about starting a business. Unemployment might be just the thing to push you off the fence and get going. Your unemployment might actually be the catalyst you need to turn a side hustle into a fully-fledged home business, or find the time to really develop a business idea that you have had.

Rather than looking at unemployment as a serious problem, consider it an opportunity to get things off the ground with your home business. Many people have, in the last few years, turned unemployment into an opportunity to begin working for themselves.

Re-evaluate Your Priorities

For some people, unemployment is a wake up call that helps them re-evaluate their priorities. You might have more time to spend at home with your family, getting in some solid quality time.

Additionally, you might also be forced to make tough spending decisions, cutting out the unimportant expenses. Learning what’s important to you can be a very real side effect of being unemployed.

It might be just the time to step back, think about what’s important to you, and adjust your spending and your time use to reflect your priorities and values.

Bottom Line

There’s nothing easy about being unemployed. However, there are opportunities around us.

While it takes work to be positive when faced with unemployment, it is possible. Change your mindset so that you focus more on the opportunities that come with having a little more time.

You might be able to re-prioritize your life, start something new, or even develop the skills you need to get a job that you really want.

With a little creative planning, unemployment truly can be seen as an opportunity.