Coping with Job Loss and Finding New Opportunities
Job loss is an involuntary disruptive life event that can have a far-reaching impact on a person’s life trajectories. Job loss occurs when a worker is laid off as a result of company downsizing, restructuring, closing locations, relocating or replacement of jobs by technology. Involuntary job loss may also indicate job separation as a result of a health condition.
When individuals lose their job, they not only lose their source of income, they may also lose personal work relationships, a routine and structure to their day, and a sense of purpose. Unemployment can represent a loss of a core part of their identity - especially for those who invested a lot in their jobs, whether be through time, energy, or education.
Emotional Impact of Job Loss
The impact of job loss is not limited to financial strain; it is also associated with emotional distress such as:
Anxiety: feeling worried or stressed when you suddenly become unemployed can affect every aspect of your life. You may begin to feel concerned about the future - how to find a new job, manage finances, or maintain your lifestyle.
Sadness and loss: mourning the job and the daily routines that came with it, including social connections. The loss of income can mean the potential loss of a house, car, insurance, and other expenses.
Loss of self-esteem: after a job loss you may have doubts about your own abilities and worth. You might blame yourself for losing your job or not being able to prevent it. Feelings of rejection and hopelessness may be felt as you look for work.
Family disruption: the feelings of job loss are not isolated but rippled through families and communities. The family situation, such as your role within the family or if you are a caregiver for a parent, can make a person’s experience different from others. Other factors such as family traditions, beliefs and values around career can also impact an individual’s emotional distress surrounding job loss.
Practical Steps to Take After Job Loss
Take Care of Your Body
It’s okay to feel anxious, angry, worried, stressed, hopeless, or sad about losing your job. Turning toward an emotion is what helps us move through them. When we are emotionally regulated we can figure out our best next move. Some strategies to regulate our emotions could look like:
Engaging in a physical activity that feels freeing
Being present with the emotion and setting the story aside in order to be fully with the bodily sensations
Getting curious about your values and your past - specific emotional response tell us what is important to us and what we have been through
Expressing through a creative activity
Explore Your Resources
The second step is to explore your many resources, both internal and external. Internal resources include skills, strengths, personality styles, beliefs, diversity, and characteristics like empathy and optimism. External resources include family, friends, institutional support, unemployment benefits, or access to education. Talk to your friends and family and let the important people in your life know what is going on. Not only can they provide emotional support but they may be able to help you find a new opportunity through their network. Ask yourself, ”What internal and external resources do I have that will help me move toward my preferred future?”
Create a Job Search Plan
Start by setting goals, and map a path toward achieving them. Identify what is important to you in your next role. What is the first step that will help you move toward your career goal? What can be done right away and what can be left open for the time being?
Strategies for Staying Positive and Motivated
Be aware of the messages you are giving yourself. Be kind to yourself.
Remember we are not always in control of what happens to us.
Our lives are meant to be constructed and then "renovated" as time goes on. People and their external environments are constantly evolving. See this as an opportunity to grow your story.
The Role of Counselling in Coping with Job Loss
Naming our experiences and processing the emotions connected to job loss can be a starting place. Counsellors and clients can work in a collaborative process to identify specific actions that clients can take to cope with their career concerns. Additionally, the counsellor and client can collect stories from their past and present, and then identify ideas, actions, values, strengths, and resiliency to create a way forward. There are so many ways counselling can support you through job loss, and we are here to help.
At the Commons Wellness Collective, we have several clinicians who specialize in supporting folks through career transitions and job loss. We would be honoured to support you.