The impact of losing a job unexpectedly is something very few can imagine until it actually strikes. It takes time to address the feelings and implications of job loss and for some, it can be one of the most severe causes of stress in their life. The broader implications can be underpinned by financial commitments that may, or may not, be manageable without regular income such as that generated from wages or salary. Of course, the repercussions of job loss are usually vastly broader than merely financial.
Following job loss, people commonly experience a broad range of feelings such as humiliation, failure, vulnerability, anxiety, resentment and self-pity. Addressing these feelings is key to overcoming them and finding the inner strength to focus on developing a strategy for your future career. Losing your job may hit hard, but taking adequate steps to address your emotional and psychological well-being in the first instance will go a long way towards supporting you in creating a positive future professional journey.
Strategies for coping with sudden job loss:
1) Write down your feelings and experiences during this time to track how you’re traveling and reflect upon the emotional roller-coaster you will likely experience.
2) Identify ways to boost your self-esteem. Write a list of all the things you do well or ask relevant people to provide a letter of recommendation or act as a verbal reference for future job applications.
3) Consider the use of any outplacement services that your previous company may offer. This can help with resume writing, interview preparation and psychological support, when necessary.
4) Reflect on things you learned during your time at this job. Which aspects did you enjoy? Which aspects would you happily avoid in a future employment opportunity? What were your accomplishments? What new skills did you learn?
Focusing on strengthening your emotional resilience will assist you to deal with job loss in the best way possible. What is meant by emotional resilience? According to Psychology Today, “Resilient people do not let adversity define them. They find resilience by moving towards a goal beyond themselves, transcending pain and grief by perceiving bad times as a temporary state of affairs”. They understand they may not have all the answers but believe they have enough inner strength to overcome personal obstacles.
Developing emotional resilience is a critical factor in generating a healthy frame of mind and maintaining a conducive level of mental health. Sometimes the loss of a job comes as such a shock and can send people into a downhill spiral. If you experience such feelings, it’s important to reach out to your local general practitioner or grief counseling telephone service to speak to a professional about how best to manage your feelings. One of the most immediate methods of coping with sudden job loss is to focus on the future, not the past. Remember, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying a prosperous and fruitful professional future.
Joe Flanagan is the Senior Consultant at Velvet Jobs, they provide outplacement services, a resume builder and a job search facility. When he's not helping people with their career journey you can find him traveling light around the world and documenting his adventures through still image.