Layoff Anxiety- How to Cope?

There is never a good time to go through a layoff or be looking for that great career opportunity.?When layoffs happen, how do we cope with this life changing mindset?

Shock

Shock is one of the most common feelings after being laid off from a job. If you weren’t expecting to be let, go, or laid off, this is one of the first emotions you’re likely to feel.

So, give yourself time to let it sink in. Don’t rush yourself, and don’t blame yourself for feeling this sense of shock for a day or two. This is a big change that you need to adjust to!

Resistance

You may also find yourself resisting the news or being unwilling to accept reality. Unfortunately, saying things like, “This can’t be happening,” isn’t going to fix the situation.

And while I realize it’s easier said than done, I recommend trying to avoid this phase or get through it as quickly as possible.

Anxiety

Along with depression and the initial shock of hearing the news, you may also feel anxiety after a layoff. This can lead to difficulty sleeping, a tendency to overeat, and more.

?Also, assess your financial situation to make sure you understand whether you need to cut back on expenses.

Uncertainty and Doubt

Next, you may start to feel uncertain about whether you can find a new job, or whether you’ll ever find one as good as the position you had before.

It’s entirely normal to feel like this, but it’s NOT the reality. There are millions of jobs in the world. What are the odds that the job you held previously was the best one available? It’s just not true.

Loss of Hope

If you don’t get a handle on the uncertainty and doubt that starts creeping into your mind, it can lead to an overall sense of hopelessness. This is when it starts to get dangerous because you’ll stop putting effort into job search activities, you’ll lose your daily routine (like going to the gym), etc.

Frustration

It’s also common to feel some frustration with your situation. You weren’t expecting to have to job hunt, things were going well before, and it’s entirely normal to be upset about the change.

Irritability

Along with the more severe feelings and emotions above, you might also become more irritable. If you notice yourself lashing out at others or having a short temper (with family members, friends, recruiters, or employers), it may be time to take a one-day break and do something to relax.

Shame

Feelings of shame after a layoff are normal, but this has NOTHING to do with your value as a person, your skills and abilities, or your future. Companies lay people off all the time, and it’s due to THEIR situation.

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Sadness

Lastly, even if you avoid depression and some of the other common feelings after being laid off, you may still feel sadness. You might miss your old job, your old routine, your coworkers, or even your office space.

You WILL Bounce Back

Never forget: You will find employment again. This is not permanent! Everyone goes through moments of shock, sadness, and other common feelings after being laid off. It’s totally normal.?

Something that you plan in your life for but don’t expect another major situation to happen is:

Escaping reality…

In her own words:

5 days before I was laid off, I finalized our trip to our favorite place in all of the US.

We’ve made it a point to come out every year since we were married - just the two of us, no kids!

Even after being laid off, we decided welp we either lose money for a nonrefundable trip or we keep our fingers crossed and hope a great opportunity comes along and just go with it

Well, it’s the first day of our vacation and I didn’t land a gig yet.

I do have a few potentials in the pipeline but the unknown still exists

It’ll be an emotional tug of war this vacation

Between trying to live wild and free to wincing every time we spend money

I refuse to let this?#opentowork ?status ruin our vacation

We are financially set, not exactly where we want to be and not contributing to our extra retirement accounts but we are in a good place

The status is only temporary but the memories of this vacation are forever

??cheers to living wild and free in an otherwise uncomfortable status

I’ll be nice and recharged to come back to the job hunt when I return

Until then ??

Put your phone down and drive

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