Losing your job sucks big time. I know this for sure. Whether you’ve been made redundant through a restructuring or lost your job do to the economic effects of COVID, the reason doesn’t really matter when at the end of the day your life has been turned upside down.
Whether you yourself are currently in this situation, or you have a friend or family member who is (and given the statistics you probably do know someone right now), here are a few tips that helped me and hopefully will help others.
- Exercise. Doesn’t matter what type of exercise, but do your best to move each day. I personally find walking outside to be the best way to clear my mind. I often go alone with my music or a podcast, or join a friend for a walk.
- Volunteer. You probably didn’t make the time previously when you were working full-time to volunteer a lot. The best thing to do when you are searching for your next gig is to stay busy. Think about what you care about and research opportunities to volunteer. There are countless local and national organizations that could really use your help and it will make you feel good too.
- Wipe the shame away. There is nothing more humbling than when you lose your job. And you are embarrassed, perhaps don’t want people to know in the beginning. However, you need to remember that most of us have been through this at one point in our careers. The most important thing is to do your best to own it, muster up your courage and let people know you are searching for your next job. Networking, or put it more simply, letting people know you are searching is the best way to find your new thing. And you may not want to hear this but in fact it could be even better than before!