An Opportunity After a Layoff?
Many in my network have been let go, laid off, reduced, fired, and “thrown out.”
I’ve had many conversations with people about how they’re feeling: anger, frustration, confusion, and fear. Some feel abandoned by their managers and companies.
Many were caught off guard after being told they were “safe.”
I’ve been laid off once and know the pain, disbelief, and disillusionment that follows. Whether it’s something expected or surprised by, the feeling, thinking, and realizing your livelihood is gone…is frightening.
The human instinct is to react to the situational change: get back what was lost. Research studies show we place a higher value on what we lose than what can be gained.
So what can you do?
Allow yourself to process the change and feel the emotions. Don’t rush to push them down or suppress them. Perceive them. Assess them. Manage the emotional response to change and make the changes you’ve wanted (but believed were impossible).
Perhaps, you’ve wanted to explore a different career, wanted more time with family, time to explore your creativity or time to sleep more simply. It’s possible you’ve had a business idea mulling in your mind for years but are too exhausted and time-constrained to start it.
Perhaps this ending is signaling a new beginning.
I understand it’s difficult to see that now.
With that said, it’s easier to do these things when you have financial security: savings or emergency funds to cover your basic living expenses. It can be privileged to have been able to put away a portion of a paycheck, get a severance, and qualify for unemployment to cover the cost of living.
It doesn’t remove the pain of losing a job, but it can lessen the duration of that pain.
It’s a reason why I do the work I do: help people reach financial security, not job security (if there is such a thing). I’ve been on a mission to help you be financially well so when life’s unexpectedness happens, you experience less stress, anxiety, and fear.
To borrow a well-known proverb:
The best time to start planning for the unexpected was 10 years ago. The next best time is today.
I know how difficult and challenging this period of your life is…
I want you to know there are resources to support your mental health and organizations that provide financial support.
You have a social network right here on LinkedIn to tap into (your social net worth) to find new opportunities.
I wrote Happy Money Happy Life with a chapter on Happy Work where I shared my story and the story of others who faced similar work situations and found a path to happiness.
My goal is to guide you to financial wellness that includes happy work where you’re no longer handcuffed to a paycheck but free to pursue your life’s purpose.
I hope that this post finds those who need it.
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Hi, I’m Jason, author with a second book releasing on February 1, 2023–Happy Money Happy Life: A Multidimensional Approach to Health, Wealth and Financial Wellbeing. In the book, I discuss your eight dimensions of wellness (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, environmental, occupational, and financial) through the lens of money.
Make a choice today and get yourself a copy of Happy Money Happy Life. More details can be found here: https://www.phroogal.com/happy
Support local independent bookstores through Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/86952/9781394171262
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QLM89Y
