Losing a job can be one of life’s most stressful events. While finding a new job and replacing your lost wages may be your top priority, dealing head-on with the stress you may feel due to a job loss is essential. An excellent way to start is to learn about healthy ways of coping with job loss.
How do I handle the stress of a job loss?
Understanding and dealing with the stress of being laid off should be your first step. Many experts recommend that you don’t even begin looking for a new job until you’ve given yourself at least a couple of weeks to deal with your job loss.
Taking the time to process your grief and, if necessary, reassure your family allows you to turn to your job search feeling refreshed and optimistic instead of angry, frustrated or depressed. Combat stress with the following techniques:
Get plenty of sleep. It is difficult to make up for lost sleep and being tired magnifies stress. Make sleep a priority. Also, remember that sleeping too much could also be a problem, so try not to overdo it. Contact a physician if you have questions about how much sleep you need.
Eat right. What you eat dramatically affects how your body copes with stress and fights illness. Avoiding junk foods and significant changes in your diet will help keep you well.
Exercise. Not only is exercise good for you, but it’s an excellent tool for eliminating stress and anxiety.
Talk about it. Expressing your feelings and concerns about job transition with your friends and family will help alleviate your stress. Getting feedback from others will also help keep the situation in perspective. Give yourself a couple of weeks to express anger or other negative feelings about your job loss. Then, when you’re ready to begin job hunting, you can stay more positive.
Focus on things you enjoy. It’s not easy to ignore the job loss, but doing things you enjoy can help take your mind off of something you find stressful, even if it’s only momentary.
Strategies to maintain financial stability
Investigate severance pay and other benefits you may be entitled to, such as outplacement services and the continuation of health insurance benefits. Other tips include:
Notify creditors of your situation. A flexible payment schedule might be able to be arranged.
Apply for unemployment benefits, available to you if you have lost a job through no fault of your own. Check with your local jurisdiction for other requirements.
When ready to begin looking for a new job, follow a daily schedule that involves working on your resume, making calls, researching and setting up interviews.
Remember to eat well, exercise, have some fun and get adequate rest.
Focus on possibilities and accomplishments and not on failures.
