The clouds are especially detailed today. You clutch your coffee, feeling ready for anything. Break time has the office courtyard sprinkled with familiar people milling about. Your coworkers.
You muse at the camaraderie, the closeness you feel toward these people you spend 8 hours a day with. After a decade together, you are practically family.
Smiling warmly as you re-enter the building of your employment, you are completely unaware that this will be your final entry.
A layoff hits like a tornado on a blue day. Crash! And then there is sadness.
Maybe you are even mad. How dare they lay you off. You were faithful. Your reviews were excellent. Retirement was distant but within sight. You had felt valued.
Now you feel used. Unlike being fired for an indiscretion, a layoff isn’t usually connected to your behavior at work. You can’t blame yourself.
Accountability gives you a sense of power, but since you cannot be held accountable for the layoff, does this make you powerless?
The good news is that you have a fresh start. You didn’t make the choice to be laid off, but it’s out of your control. If you can accept this change and take care of your mental health, you are compelled to launch into the next incredible era of your career.
3 articles about layoffs and mental health:
Jack Kelly of Forbes notes that, “The impact of layoffs enacted on a nearly daily basis will have a long-term, detrimental impact on workers’ health and emotional well-being, according to the American Psychological Association” (2023). He asserts that laid off workers are feeling vulnerable and disposable. Kelly recommends taking mental health days to avoid burnout.
Carlos Cabrera-Lomielí of KQED emphasizes, “A job can represent security and stability, and when that is taken away, our mental health also takes a hit. So, looking after our mental health is equally critical as figuring out how to keep paying the bills” (2024). It’s hard to say whether it’s more stressful to have a frustrating job or to be laid off from any kind of job. Either way, taking care of yourself in general will give you a healthful lens through which to see clearly, to face unexpected challenges with a firm foundation.
As panic and despair are widespread emotional experiences for discarded workers, it is crucial that self-care practices are put into practice prior to the potential of any layoff. Practical safeguards should be taken as well. Morgan Smith writes, “Recruiters and HR experts recommend taking practical steps to prepare for a potential layoff too, so that you can feel more prepared. Update your resume, set up job alerts on job search websites, and seek advice from a mentor or other professional contacts” (2024). Whether you have never been laid off or are getting the sense that you might at some point, planning ahead will serve you well.
3 supportive videos regarding layoffs and mental health:
How to Handle Layoff Anxiety – Therapist Trey Tucker Explains
Laid Off? Manage Your Mental Health with These 8 Tips!
GETTING LAID OFF, WHAT NOW? | MASS TECH LAYOFFS
For a bit of comic relief, enjoy this funny video by Beck Nadir.
AI taking over, what’s next? – HokusPokus.ai
And finally, turn up this playlist and do a little head-banging. Back in the 90’s, they said shaking up the brain was good for the soul!
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