How To Get Through The Pain Of Being Laid Off And Come Out A Winner

Getting laid off from your job can be a huge blow, not only to your wallet but to your ego and spirit as well. 

How you come through it will be determined by the mindset that you choose. 

When it happened to me, I was shocked, crushed, devastated, demoralized...

Here’s what helped me get through the initial devastation and come out the other side feeling like a winner. 

First, allow yourself to feel the feelings. There are so many emotions that bubble up from anger and disbelief to relief and joy (if you were not happy anyways). Emotions will run the gamut and some techniques to honor them and yourself are to:

• Write them down. I’m talking about streams of thought, getting it all out on paper, the good, the bad, and the ugly. 
• When no one is home, allow yourself to have a temper tantrum and beat up your pillow or any other soft object. (sounds crazy but trust me it works:))
• Talk things out with a friend, counselor, or any type of professional that provides emotional support who will listen and be encouraging. 

Stop and listen to your inner voice. I’m not talking about some woo-woo stuff. Step back and think about what you want to do and are you living the life you want. This situation can be a clean slate to recreate the life you’ve imagined. 

• Reflect on where you are in your life. What are your priorities at this stage?
• Identify what brings you the most joy. What are your gifts and talents? How can you leverage these? 
• Journal all that you’ve learned and are grateful for. Write down the characteristics of what the vision for your life would look like with no limitations.

Accept Change. As the saying goes, “the only thing for certain is change.” You will go through ups and downs, and better days are ahead. 

• Recognize and accept that you cannot control what has already happened.
• Focus on all the opportunities available to you after you soul search on what you want to do and leveraging the resources you have available.

Take action and create momentum for the next season. 

• If your former company provides resources after a layoff, leverage them! Take the assessments, answer the questionnaires, talk to the career coaches. 
• Reach out to colleagues you’ve worked within the past, contacts, and friends who are doing what you want to do, meet up for zoom calls, coffee meetings, lunch, etc. and come equipped to ask questions and learn. 
• Open your mind to the possibilities.

Keep a positive mindset. It is crucial to be intentional with how you are thinking because it is easy for your thoughts to run wild when adversity happens. Control your thoughts by paying attention to what you “feed” your mind and spirit. Here are a few ideas to keep your mindset strong.

• Read (or listen) to content that provides information on things you're interested in, business ideas, or personal development. (You might enjoy my book, Inspirational Mind Food)
• Surround yourself with people who are encouraging and positive. 
• Get some fresh air. Take a walk or run at a local park or nature trail, have a picnic, or walk your dog in the neighborhood. 
• Listen to fun, encouraging, upbeat music.

Getting laid off is devastating, but it is also an opportunity to recreate yourself. It isn’t easy; it’s scary! But you will learn more about your true identity and what you want out of life.

Don’t confuse your path with your destination. Just because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean that you aren’t headed for sunshine. Look back on your life and think about the challenges that felt insurmountable and you made it through. You will this time too because you are a winner!

If you’re feeling stuck, I’m here to help, schedule a call with me  and we can discuss the best options for you to create your Intentional Life Success Plan both at work and at home. 

Or, here is another way to get started, follow the below roadmap:

Step #1 - Complete the Free Mindset Quiz :

Discover where you are in your thinking in order to get unstuck to take action for achieving the goals you want in your future.

Step #2 - Take the Mindset Reset Kick-Starter Mini-Course:

A  3-step process that provides you with simple tools to quickly get your home and work life on track for optimum success. 

Step #3 - Join the Mindset Reset 6-week Coaching Course:

A proven, step by step, action-oriented methodology that provides a clear roadmap to guide you in identifying purpose and plan to drive results personally and professionally.

Step #4 - Connect via, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Create Your Best Life Group

You will never have to go solo...be a part of this community of like-minded, go getters for encouragement and accountability.