Getting laid off or realizing that your skills have been made redundant can be extremely difficult and take a toll on your mental health. Being unemployed can emotionally and financially drain you as people often attach their self-worth solely to their job.
You can deal with this situation in a certain manner that can help you land a job again and ensure that you do not lose yourself in this psychologically draining phase of your career. Here are a few ways you can survive and cope with unemployment:
1. Relax and Re-evaluate
Losing your job is challenging as it brings financial struggle and instability. If you have been recently laid off, try distracting yourself by watching a movie with your loved ones or doing an activity that brings you meaning and lets you rest a little. It is okay to take a step back and let yourself breathe before allowing the world’s worries to get to you.
As much as you need finances in your life and pay your bills increases with inflation, it is still not a good choice to drown yourself in self-pity due to that professional layoff. Use this time to relax and re-evaluate what went wrong. Analyze your likes and dislikes about your previous jobs, your supervisor’s feedback, and job satisfaction. This self-reflection will help you understand the situation better and avoid the same mistakes at your next job.
2. Find New Jobs or Skills
It may be tempting to get so caught up in regret that you let go of your routine and good habits. Take your reality as a lesson, and you can use the downtime wisely by learning new skills that can improve your professional and financial standing. You can use online resources such as Udemy, skillshare, and Coursera to enhance your skills. You can mend your CV or resume by finding online tutorials by career mentors and professionals.
The lay-off period is a great time to reconnect with your genuine interests and start networking on LinkedIn. You can begin setting daily or weekly goals when applying for new jobs. Meeting new people through a professional network can perhaps refer you to jobs as well. To maintain your work ethic and get some extra income, you can always start an odd job for the time being. The easiest ones are usually delivery jobs. You can look into delivery jobs by Lensa.
3. Volunteer
Job lay-off can take an immense toll on one’s mental health. The best way to preserve your peace in such situations is by learning to give back. You can start volunteering at the nearby food bank, shelter home, or food drive to connect with your community and lift your self-esteem. The networking you do through volunteering will also benefit your business exposure and can even help you in your job search.
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Dealing with a job loss can be immensely draining; be kind to yourself. To overcome stress, anxiety, and fear of failure, you can try a new hobby like exercising or going to the gym to help you get in shape and improve your health. You can even sign up for volunteering and get some hands-on experience while giving back to society.
It is easy to slip into a cycle of unproductivity when you do not have your regular job and have the pressure to pay your bills. So, it is essential to immediately distract yourself, rest a little, and engage yourself in something productive.