So You Got Laid Off: Now What?

Being laid off is tough— it can hit all of the boxes at once, emotionally, financially, even physically. Sleepless nights and anxiety can creep in, racing thoughts, looking at the bills coming in and trying to figure out where to go from here. You can very easily find yourself living in a world of deep uncertainty especially if you let it fester.

But as my former colleague Tom Hogan once said to me "So What? Now What?"

Remember, within you is a true north that got you to where you are today, and will see you through tomorrow and beyond. Know this. You will recover from this, you will bounce back. So grab your inner warrior, and show the world what you’re made of, with these tips below.

Don’t Panic:

Before diving into job applications, give yourself permission to process the emotions. A little time off can help you regain composure and clarity. You may experience anger, shock, dismay, sadness, pity, betrayal and more. That’s ok. Feel the feelings. You have a few days to process, then that’s it. Time to sack up and get back to work.

Keep Moving:

Newton's First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force. Watch out for inertia, do something every day that will move things forward. This looks like job applications, resume rewrites, reaching out to people to connect and reconnect. Set standards - “I will connect with 5 people every day”. LinkedIn allows you to do this. Take advantage of it. Which leads to…

Build a Routine:

Establish a daily schedule that includes job searching, but also self-care activities like exercise, reading, or hobbies that keep your spirit uplifted. You are going to find a job soon, talent doesn’t sit still for long. Just like a work day, get up, shower, get dressed, grab a coffee and go take the day on. You are tenacious, and relentless. You’re like the Terminator, you will not stop until you reach your goal.

Hustle.

Rest.

Repeat.

Manage Your LinkedIn Diet:

LinkedIn showcases the highlight reels, not the everyday struggles. For every “I just got laid off” post there are 10x posts celebrating new positions, as they should. Remember, LinkedIn is social media, everyone is living their best life on here (yes even the cringey posts). Take those success posts with a grain of salt and don’t use them as your benchmark. It’s a tool. Use it as so. And always remember you’re not alone in this fight, though it can feel that way if you don’t filter things the right way. Be mindful of your consumption.

Reach Out, Touch Faith:

As Depeche Mode sang in Personal Jesus. Reach Out. Touch Faith. Start sending messages to your network—not just for job opportunities but for support, just to say hi. Sharing your experiences with your friends and peers can provide comfort and advice. The amount of people that have reconnected with me after getting laid off with just a nice word has been amazing. Make the effort to talk to people, they’re more than happy to help in various ways.

Mind Your Melon:

It’s very easy to fall into a negative headspace at this time. Practice mindfulness or meditation to stay grounded. Recommend Headspace or Calm as apps, but there’s also plenty of guided meditations on Spotify or YouTube if you need. Remember, your worth is not defined by your work. Let me say that again in case you didn’t catch it.

Your. Worth. Is. Not. Defined. By. Your. Work.

You may love your work, or you may not. But it is not the sole thing that defines who you are.

You have an internal locus, your true north as I said. Feed your soul, and listen to your inner voice, it is wise, and true. And if that other voice comes in that says you’re not good enough or won’t be a success or whatever, give it a name, and a voice. I like Gilbert Godfrey, it helps it stand out. Super annoying, but effective, try it.

Also, in those tough tough moments, here’s a quick grounding exercise, take a deep breath and put your hand on your belly, make sure it is soft, relax, as best you can, and do the following

- Name 5 things you can see

- Name 4 things you can hear

- Name 3 things you can feel

- Name 2 things you can smell

- Name 1 thing you can taste

This can change your entire day.

Explore and Educate:

Use this time to learn new skills or explore fields you’ve been curious about. Online courses can add valuable certs to your resume. Coursera, Udemy, Google, there’s a whole world of stuff there and you can now make the time to learn.

Be Kind to Yourself:

The job market is tough, and things might take longer than expected. It’s okay. Be kind to yourself and recognize your efforts. We’re all out here, doing the best we can, with what we’ve got. Allow yourself the room to navigate this, for hard days, rotten days, rejections, minor wins and massive successes. The one guarantee you have is things will change, one way or the other. You will find a way.

Consider Alternative Paths:

Maybe it’s time for something completely different? Consider how a diverse career path though daunting, might offer a new lifeline. Restarting, jumping tracks can be a challenge, but 5 years from now it may be the thing you needed to do at the time. No time like the present.

Give of yourself:

If possible, volunteer your skills to a cause you care about. It’s a great way to meet new people, keep your skills sharp, and boost your mental health. Personally I recommend something with animals, because animals are cool. Especially dogs.

Stay Hopeful:

Every ending is a new beginning. It might be hard to see it for what it is at the time. Hold on to hope. The glass is half full, always. Dismiss the Gilbert voice when he says the glass is half empty. It isn’t. Stay hopeful and open to the possibilities that await. The right opportunity could be just around the corner. You are one choice away from an entirely new life, where people value you, for who you are, what you bring and what you offer to the world.

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