Losing your job suddenly — whether you’ve been laid off or resigned because you felt you had no choice — can be incredibly disheartening. Here’s how to move forward.
- Practice self-compassion. Be extra gentle with yourself. Reconnect with people you love outside of work. Spend quality time with them to brighten your mood, alleviate tension, and remind yourself how you deserve to be treated.
- Attend to your unmet needs. Think about what you need to heal. You might keep a journal outlining what you feel you’ve lost and how you’d like to move forward. This will help you shift your focus from uncertainty to forward momentum.
- Focus on what you can control. Start with small steps. Maybe volunteer for an organization you care about, apply for jobs that excite you, or reach out to your network. This will help you build confidence and reduce stress.
- Stay open-minded. As you begin to explore new paths, be open to stepping-stone jobs — perhaps with a decrease in pay, if you can swing it, or a position that’s not in your desired field. Treat it as an opportunity for growth rather than seeing it as a setback or a failure.
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