Surviving Job Loss Tips

Thursday, February 5th, 2009 John

If you lost your job, it can be a crushing personal crisis of a lifetime. Major changes in life such as surviving a job loss, divorce, and the death of a loved one are considered to be the most nerve-wracking and possibly draining events that one needs to manage. Although financial slump is a serious issue, the setback to your ego is even more challenging to face. This is because you may lose your self-esteem, your once-cherished daily routine, you lose your regular source of income and even the predictability and good sense of security.

Like any other unfortunate event, on the positive perspective, the process of surviving job loss can present an opportunity for development. Commitment and deep maturity are necessary to transform present anguish into positive outcomes. There are certain emotional stages you must experience and act upon them in order to reach the more positive state of mind. These stages of job loss survival are necessary to accomplish eventual resolution of job loss.

Facing the Reality
The first responses to loss can be pain, fear and lowered self-regard. Then denial of these feelings serves to buffer the discomfort as a defence mechanism. Acknowledging these feelings is the first postive step toward making efforts to manage job loss successfully. In recognizing the need to promote self-confidence, a plan of action will summon your resources, including your creativity. It can also lead you, for example, to ask friends and family for help and support. You cannot set about a job interview while feeling depressed, angry, hostile, pessimistic and afraid, right? Dealing openly and honestly with suitable persons can free up positive emotional energy needed in preparing for job searching. You can talk about the circumstances and events leading up to the loss of your job with a close friend, a loved one, a confidant or a community group. You can start thinking about what actually happened to cause you to lose your job. How did you behave upon receiving the news from your boss? How long have you been in that job? How was your relationship with your superiors, subordinates and peers? You have to do this quickly and pick up couple of lessons to learn from but never let this process pull your self-esteem further down. Move on to your next plan of action.

Searching for Support
It is not uncommon for a person to be demoralized after losing a job. Relinquishing bitterness and anger is crucial for surviving job loss. Healthy ways of dealing with frustration include physical exercise, offering time for voluntary activities and taking on household chores. They are effective and productive vents and will give you a sense of achievement. Depression is just temporary and quick to pass if you get busy and take control. You should not waver to share what has happened to you with people you know. Ask for good job leads. Search the on-line resources and many publications in your nearby library or bookstore.

Reconnect
The initial blow of a job loss may bring about limited vision because of emotions. All you can see are the negative views of your situation. But realize this: even though it was an important source of self-esteem and regular income, your past job could not have offered all the things in life which matter most to you. There are other rewarding facets of life which are truly of value. This is the time to re-evaluate your passion and interests if you are to gain the confidence and optimism needed for moving on. This may even turn out to be an important turning point for you and your family. When it comes to your family, the loss of a job by a parent plays a significant change in their world. Children, like adults, need to go through a grief process. Children are smart and it is usually fruitless to try to keep such information from them. Without knowing the source of adult unhappiness, a child might feel answerable. Thus it is important for all members of the family to talk together and help one another while a parent is surviving job loss.

Final Words
When you are back in control, look into severance pay and other welfares or separation benefits to which you may be entitled. Examples of these are outplacement services, temporary office while you are searching for new job and the continuation of health insurance benefits. You then should notify your creditors of your current situation. A flexible payment schedule might be arranged if you are prompt and honest. Apply for unemployment benefits which may be available to you if you lost a job through no fault of your own. Check with your lawyer for other requirements. Finally, you should follow a regular daily schedule such as working on your resumes, making phone calls, doing research and setting up interviews. Eat well, exercise, have fun and get enough rest. Focus on possibilities and accomplishments, not on failures.

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