Even though there are signs of growth and improvement everywhere, companies are still downsizing or at least not growing. With the U.S. job market so competitive, many people are continuing to be unemployed. Millions of Americans have become part of a growing demographic of people who are experiencing long-term unemployment.
Many of us think to ourselves, “that could never happen to me.” But what if it does? What would happen if you find that the company you are working for had to close? What would you do if your position was eliminated? How would it affect your relationship if you lost your job? Just thinking about this kind of loss can stress you out. Job loss is about more than just a loss of money. It can upset the balance of your relationships. It can change the dynamic of your household, and it can change the way that you view yourself. All of these things are likely to cause stress, depression, and anxiety for you and for your other family members.
Losing A Job is A Big Deal
When coping with job loss, it is important that you acknowledge that it is truly a loss. You may need to handle it in the same way that you would handle grief at the loss of a loved one. You are likely to experience many of the stages of grief that include denial, anger, and guilt. These are natural processes. Once you acknowledge what is happening to you, you will be better able to deal with your changing emotions. It can be helpful to talk to your spouse or partner, or to a trusted friend. Sharing your feelings and your journey might make the whole process easier.
Find New Ways to Save Money
You might take this opportunity to find out ways that you can tighten your belt besides giving up your morning latte or your large cable package. Almost everyone has a period of financial leanness in their lives. Talk to the people closest to you to come up with some different kinds of ways to save money while you look for work. You will hear lots of people tell you that they had garage sales or turned to Craigslist for the selling of anything extra. You can cut down on your food spending by creating meals from the foods you already have or by making enough food for two meals and freezing one. People love to talk about how they saved money, and every new idea will be a boost to your finances.
Take Advantage of Time Between Jobs
Take some of this down time to focus on some of the things that you were not able to focus on before. Spend time with your family. Do things together at home like watching movies, cooking dinner, or cleaning up. Do things around the house that you talked about in the past but never really had the opportunity or the motivation to do. Learn something new that may make you more marketable to your future employer. The internet is full of learning resources that are at your disposal.
Pay Close Attention to Your Emotional Health
Also, take good care of your emotional health. Feel the things that you are feeling without denying them. You are allowed to feel angry about losing your job. You are allowed to feel depressed about not going to work and not being the breadwinner. Depression after a job loss is perfectly normal. But sometimes you can get stuck in your emotions. You can find that you are stuck being depressed or guilty or angry for a long time. This is unhealthy. You may need to seek some kind of professional help in order to improve your emotional well-being. Take note of how you are feeling and if you are feeling stuck in one place for too long. Notice if your family and friends are telling you that you need to get some help and follow their instructions.
You will get through this time of trial. Despair is not the answer. Your life may need to change in order to get through this, but you will find a solution if you rely on the options and the help that you can receive from all different sources. Many people have found that they grow quite a bit during a crisis. Weathering the bad times can make you a better person. So keep up the hope that things will improve, and look to the future where things are better.
