This PSA is aimed at able-bodied folks. Obviously those who have legitimate limitations (physical or otherwise) and cannot work are not the folks that I am thinking of with this post.
Work is important to our lives. Yes, work provides an income so that we can survive, but it is about much more than just the income. Healthy people that sit on the couch all day and never go to work lose something important from their lives: Dignity. Work gives people dignity. Knowing that you have gone out and put in honest effort for honest pay promotes a sense of well-being and accomplishment. Those two things contribute to dignity for most of us.
"But I can't find a job" (said in a whiny voice, usually). There are always little old ladies that need their lawn mowed or sidewalk cleared of snow. There are always young couples that could use a dog-walker. Most fast-food places that deliver need drivers. There are jobs out there that need doing, even for those who find those jobs to be "beneath" them. Just because a job is not your favorite or glamorous doesn't mean that it doesn't need doing. If you cannot find other work, then take a job that is beneath you and work. The changes that will happen in your life will be mulitple and varied, but I daresay almost all of them are better than riding the couch.
So let's say that you honestly cannot find work in your area. Then go find a worhtwhile cause and volunteer. Volunteering means working for free, but it still gives the sense of value and accomplishment to your day. There are many good organizations that run on less than shoestring budgets and rely on volunteers to do the work they do. If you truly cannot find a job, then work for free helping out others. That will also cause changes to happen to you and for you, all while helping out other people. I call that a win-win.