When you lose a job it can be a devastating experience. Losing your income will have a real impact on not just your life, but also the lives of your family and friends. It can be devastating emotionally, mentally and physically. There are ways however to cope with the emotions that come with being unemployed.
Remember you’re going through a transition period, not a failure.
You’re not alone in feeling the emotions that come with job loss. It’s normal to feel scared, sad, disappointed and angry during this transition period in your life. In fact, you should expect these feelings as they are all part of the process and will help you get through it successfully.
You may be thinking about how much longer it’s going to take for me to find another job or if this will happen again in future jobs (let’s hope not!). But remember: You’ve been given an opportunity for growth! This could be one of those moments where all our lives change for the better if we let ourselves stay open-minded enough to see what opportunities await us on the other side of this transition period.
Allow yourself time to grieve, but don’t get stuck.
Allow yourself time to grieve, but don’t get stuck.
It’s normal and healthy to feel sad and angry when you lose your job. These emotions may be intense at first, but they will pass as you work through them. Give yourself permission to feel these strong emotions without judgment or criticism from others (including yourself). If possible, talk about how you’re feeling with a friend or family member who can listen without judgment or advice-giving–someone who will simply lend an ear in order for you to express yourself fully.
Don’t compare yourself with others; everyone experiences job loss differently!
When we’re grieving over something important like losing our jobs, it’s common for us compare ourselves unfavorably with others who have not experienced this kind of loss before – especially if those people seem happier than we do right now! This comparison is unfair because no two losses are identical: each person has unique circumstances surrounding their particular situation which means there won’t ever be any one “right way” for dealing with such an emotionally difficult event like being laid off from work unexpectedly…
Seek help from your network.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the emotions that come with job loss, it’s important to seek help from your network. Talk to friends and family members who are supportive and understanding of what you’re going through.
Ask for help from people who can be there for you when you need them most. Your network might include people at work, such as an HR representative or supervisor; someone in human resources may be able to give advice about filing unemployment claims, as well as provide emotional support during this time. They might also have connections with other companies that are looking for new employees like yourself–this could lead directly into another job opportunity!
Use online resources like social media groups dedicated specifically toward helping those who have experienced similar situations before. There are also websites dedicated specifically towards helping those who have lost their jobs find new ones quickly because they know exactly what questions potential applicants will ask themselves while searching online job boards like Monster, Glassdoor, and of course, Caliber Sourcing.
Resist the urge to isolate.
It’s tempting to withdraw from the world and isolate yourself when you lose your job. You might feel like no one understands what you’re going through, so why bother telling them? Or maybe you think that if other people know about your situation they’ll pity or judge you, which is just too much pressure to handle right now.
But these are all things that can be avoided by staying connected with others–and it doesn’t mean having an open conversation about how awful things are right now (although there’s nothing wrong with doing that either). It just means being willing to reach out and let people help.
If someone offers their support, take it! Don’t brush off offers of help because they make things awkward or seem overwhelming; accept them gracefully instead–and let them know how much their kindness means to
you.
Take good care of yourself.
You are going through a difficult time, and it’s important that you take care of yourself so that you can get through the next few months. Here are some suggestions for how to do this:
- Eat well and exercise regularly. Eating healthy foods will help keep your energy up and make it easier on your body in general. Exercise releases endorphins which make us feel good!
- Take time every day to relax–even if just for 10 minutes at night before bedtime when everything seems overwhelming, or during the weekend when there’s more time available (and less stress). Don’t underestimate how important this step is–it will help keep stress levels down so that they don’t interfere with any other healing processes happening in our bodies (like getting enough sleep). If possible try meditating or doing yoga – both activities have been shown helpful at reducing anxiety levels over time when done consistently over an extended period of time (elderly adults who practice these techniques regularly tend not only live longer but also experience fewer instances where their mental faculties decline due lack thereof).
Avoid comparing yourself to others.
One of the hardest things to deal with when you lose your job is feeling like you’re not good enough. You may feel like everyone else has a better career than you, or that they have more money, or that they are happier in their lives. These thoughts can make it even harder for you as a person who has lost their job and needs support from others around them. When someone tells me about how much better their life is compared to mine, it makes me feel worse about myself and makes me want to give up on everything I’m doing right now because I feel like I’m never going to be able to achieve those same levels of success as others seem so easily able too achieve without any struggle whatsoever!
The truth is: no one knows what’s going on behind closed doors at any given moment; everyone has challenges; everyone deals with failure at some point during their lives (even if they don’t tell anyone). The key thing here isn’t necessarily avoiding comparisons altogether–it’s more important that we avoid letting other people make us feel bad about ourselves through comparison games where only one person wins while another loses big time!
Mind/Body/Spirit health are all important as we deal with emotional pain, so find what works for you to bring balance to all three.
The mind, body and spirit are all important as we deal with emotional pain, so find what works for you to bring balance to all three.
- Mind: Meditation, mindfulness, positive self-talk (e.g., saying “I’m doing the best I can” instead of “I’m failing”)
- Body: Healthy eating and exercise
- Spirit: Spiritual practices that help you feel connected or centered (e.g., prayer; meditation; yoga)
Manage negative self-talk and turn it into positive affirmations.
Negative self-talk can be a common reaction to job loss, but it’s not helpful. In fact, it can make you feel even worse than you already do. So how do you turn negative self-talk into positive affirmations?
- First off, don’t beat yourself up for having these thoughts; they’re normal and natural–and something everyone experiences at some point in their lives (whether or not they’ve lost their jobs).
- Next, write down the negative statements that run through your head during this difficult time. It could be something like “I’m going to fail at finding another job” or “I’ll never get another opportunity like this again.” The key here is writing down these thoughts so that they become concrete and tangible–you can see them on paper rather than just hearing them in your head all day long every day! This allows us to take control over our thoughts instead of letting them control us.
Be patient with yourself as you work towards getting back on track after job loss.
As you begin to move forward, it’s important to be patient with yourself. You may feel like you’ve failed or that your life has been derailed by the job loss. This is a normal response and part of the grieving process, but it doesn’t have to last forever.
You’ll also likely experience other emotions as well, like anger or frustration at having lost your job in the first place. Be kind to yourself while these feelings pass through; they’ll pass more quickly if you’re patient with yourself during this time period!
Don’t rush through any part of this process–take all the time that feels right for getting back on track after losing a job (or multiple jobs). Don’t compare yourself with others who seem much further along than where you are now–everyone grieves differently!
It’s okay to experience emotion when you lose your job, and there are ways to manage while you find the next one
It’s okay to experience emotion when you lose your job, and there are ways to manage while you find the next one.
If you’ve recently been laid off or fired, it’s likely that many different emotions will be swirling around in your head and heart. You might feel angry or sad, depressed or anxious–or all of those at once! These feelings are perfectly normal; however, if they start to overwhelm you or interfere with daily life (e.g., by making it difficult for others around them), then it may be time to seek professional help from someone such as a therapist who is trained in dealing with these issues.
In addition to seeing a counselor if necessary (or just because), there are things that we can all do on our own terms when coping with job loss:
Conclusion
Losing your job can be a very emotional experience, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take time each day to reflect on your feelings and find ways to manage them so they don’t control you. If you feel like things are getting out of control, reach out for help from friends or family members who will listen without judgment.
Find resources when you need them the most.
