How to survive a layoff and maintain peace of mind
Miscellaneous / / April 04, 2023
Psychologists advise what to do in a difficult situation.
How job loss affects mental health
Job loss is bad affectsH. Wilson, D. Finch. Unemployment and mental health / The Health Foundation on the mental and sometimes physical health of people. Decreased self-esteem, stress due to financial difficulties and feelings of insecurity increaseO. Batic‑Mujanovic, S. Poric, N. Pranjic. Influence of Unemployment on Mental Health of the Working Age Population / Materia socio‑medica risk of anxiety, insomnia and communication problems, can cause depression and somatic symptoms.
Ekaterina Maslova
Clinical psychologist, hypnotherapist, candidate of psychological sciences, associate professor, psychotherapist of Zigmund online psychotherapy service. online.
Getting fired is stress, uncertainty and change, and perhaps panic, depending on the conditions under which it happened. A stressful situation can lead to many psychological problems, including depressive episodes.
Psychologist Valeria Chechelnitskaya says that after being fired, many people repeat two non-adaptive scenarios.
In the first case, a person voluntarily isolates himself from society, goes headlong into addictions, for example, begins to drink often or develops addiction from social networks. He does not communicate with loved ones or takes out his anxiety on them, he can lie in bed all day, and suffer from insomnia at night.
Another scenario is impulsive and thoughtless actions. For example, after being fired, a person suddenly moves to a new place with practically no money, quits his favorite field of activity, promising never to return to it, wants to “start life from scratch».
Since at the same time he acts in an unstable emotional state, he can make mistakes, sometimes serious ones. For example, to collect loans for unnecessary spending or lose a good relationship.
Both scenarios are an attempt to drown out emotional pain without living it. Over time, feelings will subside, but the devastating consequences of such behavior can spoil life for many more years.
What not to do after being fired so as not to ruin your life
To get through difficult period without losses and recover faster, try to detect erroneous strategies in time and stop them.
Hide and suppress your emotions
Trying to suppress strong negative emotions is dangerous to mental health. They can lead to the formation of addictions, make people act impulsively, or, conversely, reduce their will to live and desire to at least do something.
Valeria Chechelnitskaya
Psychologist.
It is important to understand that any emotions are normal. After being fired, you may feel anxious, angry, or very resentful. You need to understand exactly what you are feeling, and accept that this is absolutely normal.
Valeria says that there are many practices that help to realize your emotions and live them. Here are some options:
1. Pay attention to the body. This practice helps to cope with anxiety. Take a deep breath and stretch your arms to the level of the place where you feel the most tension. Most often it is the throat, back, neck or abdomen. Then clench your hands into fists with the same force that pressure is felt inside. Also, try to reflect how the tension feels. For example, if the sensation in your throat is throbbing, squeeze your hands in the same pattern. Tighten on the inhale, relax on the exhale.
2. Get your worries out on paper. You can describe everything in words or express it through a picture - choose what suits you best. Then tear the leaf into pieces and burn it or leave it if you wish.
3. Try a move. You can dance to relieve stressor just take a quick walk. If you feel like screaming and breaking things, use something safe like a punching bag, a pillow, or an old chair. To vent, you can also try recording an angry voicemail and not sending it to anyone.
Associate yourself with work
Work is an important part of life, but some people give it too much importance. They don't thinkM. Peabody, L. Stybel. The Right Way to Be Fired/Harvard Business Review themselves without their company, consider employees a second family, and success at work is the only factor of one's own value.
Such a person experiences dismissal as a terrible betrayal, may lose a sense of identity, self-respect and desire to do anything at all.
Ekaterina Maslova
When you quit, start by realizing that You not equal your job. Remember who you are outside of the profession, list your other social roles.
It is important to understand that being fired does not indicate that you are a bad person or an incompetent specialist. Wherever you work and no matter how well you perform your duties, there is always a risk that the company will be more profitable get by without your services.
Generalize
Valeria Chechelnitskaya says that being fired often makes people slip into generalizations, asking a negative scenario for later life: “If I was fired here, then they will fire me from any other job.” And the fear of experiencing negative emotions again can prevent a person from looking for a new place or keep him from doing what he loves.
It is important to realize that it is not at all necessary that history will repeat itself. Moreover, you can sort out the mistakes that led to this outcome, and not make them in a new place.
Break contact with colleagues
If a person is fired, in his opinion, unfairly, he may hold a grudge against his superiors and colleagues, quarrel with them or break off all contacts. But this is not the best strategy for finding a new location.
In one researchE. L. Botelho, B. J. Wright, K. R. Powell. Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career / Harward Business Review calculated that dismissed executives were twice as likely to find new jobs through professional contactsthan through their acquaintances or recruiters.
Bosses, colleagues, employees and clients know what you are capable of and can suggest a good job in your field. So, even if you are terribly offended by them, do not express your thoughts out loud. Perhaps these people will help you find your new dream job.
How to regain strength and self-confidence
In the same researchE. L. Botelho, B. J. Wright, K. R. Powell. Research: When Getting Fired Is Good for Your Career / Harward Business Review it turned out that 68% of the dismissed managers found a job in the next 6 months, and 24% after a year. And in the vast majority (91%), these people received the same high positions as before the dismissal.
Thus, job loss does not put an end to career. The main thing is to do everything right.
Give yourself time to recover
If you have savings or financial support from family members, it's worth giving yourself time to calm down and get over the stress.
Valeria Chechelnitskaya advises, first of all, to find stability in ordinary basic things. For example, There is at the same time, walk around familiar places that you like, communicate with loved ones.
When the first stress passes and you want to do something again, try to get as many positive emotions as possible. And most importantly, get it right.
Ekaterina Maslova
Take care of what you denied yourself in connection with employment. Chat with friends, go for a walk, go to nature. While doing this, don't beat yourself up - these simple pleasures are very important for your resource, which will be needed for further actions.
The period after being fired is not a time for criticism, insults and self-blame. Take care of yourself, be kind and compassion, as if your good friend or loved one was going through bad times.
Ask for help from loved ones
If it is better to turn to colleagues with questions about finding a new job, then emotional support can and should be received from family and friends. Valeria Chechelnitskaya advises to immediately indicate what exactly you want from a person.
For example, if you need to talk right now, ask a friend or family member to just listen, without giving advice or motivating you to do something new. Telling about your needs, you protect yourself from even greater frustrations, misunderstandings and quarrels.
Realize that there are many options
After being fired from a job you love, you might think that there is no other like it. This is a narrow view of things that does not correspond to reality and only more frustrating.
Ekaterina Maslova
Try to look at the current situation from at least three focuses of attention, thereby expanding the vision of the situation.
For example, if a person frightening thought to be left without funds again due to the loss of a job, several sources of income can be considered. This will provide greater financial security and reduce anxiety.
You can also change the field of activity. For example, consider related areas where you can use your skills and previous experience.
Contact a specialist
If you feel that you cannot cope on your own, it is worth contacting a specialist in order to prevent the development of mental disorders.
Valeria Chechelnitskaya
Being fired can be a trigger for mental health loss. If you are in a difficult emotional state for more than three months, you should contact a psychologist.
When depression You should make an appointment with a psychiatrist. The specialist will help with medication and advise a method to overcome the crisis.
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