I struggled a bit deciding whether to write this one. This is a tough time for everyone \u2013 some of course, worse than others \u2013 and having been through this sort of thing once or twice, I thought I\u2019d put some advice together. I hope this helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being laid off sucks, there\u2019s no two ways about that. For whatever reason it happened, having your job end is one of the top three disruptive events in a person\u2019s life (the other two are getting married\/divorced and moving to a new home).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, and possibly most importantly, remember that this isn\u2019t personal \u2013 this is an event which simply is. When companies absorb one another, redundancies and layoffs are a natural occurrence. This isn\u2019t your fault, it\u2019s simply a confluence of events that had a bad outcome. Don\u2019t blame yourself for what happened here. You can be the best at what you do, and still when the companies don\u2019t have a space for you after a merger, it ends in a layoff. It wasn\u2019t because of you, it was just how things worked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second \u2013 how to talk about it. And you should, with friends and family, to help work through it. If you have a spouse, remember that you\u2019re there for each other \u2013 you have a close ally there. Spend time with a close friend or spouse to talk through your feelings. Trust me, it helps.
Talking to children about the situation will depend on their age, of course, since kids can be a bit sensitive when it comes to potential instability. A six year old will not hear \u201cdad lost his job\u201d the same way a sixteen-year-old would. For younger kids, it might be better to phrase it \u201cmom\u2019s going to change to a new and better job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And be aware of their feelings, too \u2013 they\u2019re little sponges, they pick up on nonverbal queues a lot better than we usually suspect. A tummy-ache can often be a sign of anxiety. Your mileage may vary, my kid tends to stress out about little things that are unrelated to her day-to-day if I\u2019m having some kind of issue. If you\u2019re going to change some of your regular activities, even if it\u2019s only temporary, try to plan some other replacement events so that you don\u2019t self-isolate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third \u2013 take time for yourself. Losing a job often means having some involuntary distance put in between yourself and friends you have in the office, whom you won\u2019t see as often. If you don\u2019t take care of yourself during this period, it can exacerbate the feeling of separation. Are there some things you always wanted to do but never had the time? Maybe a couple weeks of free time is just what you need to do a project or two that you wanted to get done. Helping others can be remarkably therapeutic, too \u2013 whether that means volunteering at a community center, doing something with your church, or even just helping a neighbor, it can give you a chance to remind yourself that you yourself are intrinsically valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Set a schedule for your days, especially those spent in job-search time. Getting up at a regular hour, spending some time checking responses and doing some job-hunting, then an hour or two of exercise, however you lay it out. Just give yourself a dose of routine, in order to avoid spending all your time staring at a screen waiting for emails to come in, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fourth \u2013 be careful of bad habits building up. Overeating, or over-use of substances such as alcohol, can sneak up on you during stressful periods. Don\u2019t swear them off entirely, just remain attentive to your own health. This is another reason to spend time with friends and family, because having their presence can give you the endorphin boost that you might otherwise seek in the fridge ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fifth, and the last one for now \u2013 set aside a little time each day to remind yourself of the things you are thankful for. \u201cI\u2019m so lucky to have a friend like ..\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m really glad of ..\u201d, or even \u201cWhat a nice sound the rain makes.\u201d Training your mind to be grateful for good things will help you avoid depression, and keep you positive in your interactions with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As these things go, all advice is just that, advice \u2013 I do hope this helps some folks. If so, the only thing I would ask is that you \u2018pay it forward\u2019. Someday, you might know some other folks who are going through a troubled time. Reach back to your memories of how you got through this one, maybe some of this will help them too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I struggled a bit deciding whether to write this one. This is a tough time for everyone \u2013 some of course, worse than others \u2013 and having been through this sort of thing once or twice, I thought I\u2019d put … Continue reading