Surviving Job Loss: What to Expect and How to Cope

So you lost your job…now what?  Whether you were terminated because you failed to meet job expectations, laid off due to company downsizing, or fired for other reasons, you will no doubt experience emotional, physical, and mental distress at some point and this is not uncommon. Most often, job loss occurs at the most unexpected times.  Unfortunately, it can be rather difficult if not impossible to predict when job loss will happen. You see…some employers neglect to give their employees advance notification, but will terminate them within the same day.  Yes, in many cases the person was not aware that his/her job was on the chopping block. And this can be quite devastating. In spite of this, you shouldn’t allow pride to stand in the way of expressing how you feel about losing your job.  If you feel like crying…let the tears fall. Initially, you might become angry and fearful after learning that you will lose your job, and this is perfectly normal.  Fearful…because you don’t know how you’re going to meet all of your expenses because you won’t be making the money you once made.  Or you could become angry with your manager, supervisor, or co-workers because you feel that they were instrumental in causing you to lose your job.  And this may not be the case! However, you shouldn’t try to retaliate against your co-workers or your manager even if they were responsible for your termination.  And you should also be able to keep your anger under control in that you don’t want to say something that you would regret later or do anything that would land you jail.  You will need to let go of your anger and negative thoughts so you can move on.  

 

 Some individuals become humiliated after losing a job. They experience low self-esteem and isolate themselves from family and friends because they feel like a failure. Especially those individuals who were the sole supporters of their families. But there is nothing to be ashamed about; good employees lose their jobs too.  Depression is another feeling that you will experience after a job loss.  Beware that depression can have a negative impact on your health. You should seek support from family, colleges, and friends, to help you through your ordeal.  It might be difficult at times, but you should try to stay positive.  Focus on the future and how you plan to move forward.

 

Once you are aware of your situation aim hard to accept it.  At this point, you will need to take care of important matters that succeed job loss.  First and foremost, you will need to meet with your company’s benefits department to learn what benefits you are entitled to such as severance pay, vacation pay, medical benefits, etc.   Next, you should file for your unemployment benefits immediately after your last day of work.  Advanced technology has made it possible and convenient to file for unemployment online. So you don’t have to deal with standing in long unemployment lines. But, you will need to check to see if you can file online in your particular state. Next, you should update your resume.  Have a professional check it over and perhaps give you advice on formatting and critiquing.  You should begin looking for a new job immediately after you learn of your termination from your current job. Keep in mind that it’s more challenging now than ever to find suitable work and there are many individuals looking for work as well.  So…don’t procrastinate but you should actively look for work on a daily basis if you can.

In the meantime you should:

• Sign up with a temporary employment agency (nowadays you will need to sign up with several)
• Network with other professionals
• Learn a new skill or brush up on your current skills
• Practice your hobbies
• Volunteer
• Eat healthy
• Exercise daily- this could be in the form of walking or other cardio exercise (good stress reliever)
• Modify your finances
• Avoid charging anything
• Pay cash for your expenses
• Stay positive

Concluding, losing a job can be a very painful life transition and acceptance can be the most agonizing pill to swallow.  However, remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  With the help of your support-team, you will survive this test.