You are fired!

If you've been laid off, downsized, forced to take early retirement, or had contract work dry up, one of the most difficult moments in life is losing your job. The stress of losing a job can also take a heavy toll on your mood, relationships, and overall mental and emotional wellbeing, aside from the obvious financial anguish it can cause.

Sometimes, our jobs are more than just the way we make a living. As well as the way others see us, they affect how we see ourselves. Even if you didn't love your job, it probably provided you with a social outlet and gave your life a framework, intent, and meaning. Finding yourself out of work unexpectedly can leave you feeling hurt, mad, or depressed. You could be questioning your identity, crying for what you've lost, or worried about what the future holds.

You may feel deceived by your boss, helpless over the course of your life, or blame yourself for any perceived shortcoming or error, depending on the circumstances of your unemployment. It can feel daunting to feel the tension and concern. But right now, no matter how grim things sound, there is hope. You will come to terms with these setbacks with time and the right coping mechanisms, relieve your tension and anxiety, and move on with your working life.

Allow yourself to grieve

Grief is a normal reaction to failure, and that entails the loss of a career. Being out of work also comes with other big losses, as well as the loss of wages, some of which can be just as difficult to face:

·         A sense of power over your life

·         Your identity in professionalism

·         Your self-confidence and self-esteem

·         A schedule for every day

·         Activity with intent

·         Friendships, and a social network focused on work

·         The sense of safety that you and your family have

Facing your feelings

There are safe and unhealthy ways to mourn the loss of your work, though everyone grieves differently. For warmth, it can be easy to resort to habits like drinking too much or bingeing on fast food. But this will only bring fleeting relief and will make you feel much worse in the long term. In the other hand, knowing your emotions and questioning your negative thinking will assist you to cope with the loss and move on.

·         Give yourself adjustment time. It will take time to mourn the loss of your career and adapt to unemployment. Go easy on yourself and do not try to lock up your emotions. Even the most painful, negative emotions will pass if you allow yourself to feel what you feel.

·         Write about your emotions. Express to your former employer what you feel about being laid off or unemployed, including stuff that you wish you had (or hadn't) said. If your termination has been treated in a disrespectful manner, this is particularly cathartic.

·         Embrace truth. Although it's important to understand how painful job losses and unemployment can be, preventing wallowing is equally important. Try to acknowledge the situation rather than reflecting on your job loss, the unfairness, how badly it was treated, the ways you might have avoided it, or how much easier life would be if it hadn't happened. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can get on with your life's next step.

·         Think of the lack of jobs as a temporary setback. Many successful people have faced big failures in their lives, but by picking themselves up, learning from the experience, and trying again, they have turned things around. The same you can do.

·         Check for any silver lining. If you can find the lesson in your loss, the emotions caused by losing a job are simpler to embrace. At such a low point in your life, this can be very hard, but ask yourself if there is something that you can gain from this experience. Perhaps you have been given an opportunity by your unemployment to focus on what you want out of life and reconsider your career goals. Maybe it has made you stronger. You can be able to find something of value if you try.

Reach out to stay strong

At this difficult time, your normal response may be to withdraw from friends and family out of guilt or humiliation. But when you are faced with the stress of work loss and unemployment, do not underestimate the value of other people. Nature's solution to stress is social interaction. Nothing works better than speaking face to face with a good listener to relax your nervous system.

·         The person you speak to does not have to be able to provide solutions; they only have to be a good listener, someone who listens attentively without distracting themselves or passing judgment.

·         As well as making a big difference in how you feel, it will make you feel more in control of your situation by reaching out to others, because you never know what possibilities will occur.

·         You may want to avoid asking out of pride for help, but opening up won't make you a burden to anyone. In reality, most individuals will be flattered that you trust them enough to trust them, and the relationship will only be strengthened.

Developing new relationships after your job loss

Many of us also lose the friendships and social networks that have been formed in the workplace when we lose our jobs. But extending your social network outside of work is never too late. It can be important both to help you cope with the trauma of work loss and to find a new job.

·         Establish new friendships. By taking a class or joining a group such as a book club, dinner club, or sports team, to meet new people with similar interests.

·         Enter a club for work. Other work seekers can be invaluable sources of inspiration, assistance, and job leads. During your work hunt, being around people facing similar struggles will help energize and inspire you.

·         A network for new workers. The vast majority of job vacancies are never advertised; networking fills them up. Networking, particularly when it comes to finding a job, can sound daunting or challenging, but it doesn't have to be, even if you're an introvert or you feel like you don't know many people.

·         Engage yourself in your community. Try attending a local gathering, mentoring young people, endorsing or being politically active in your church or temple.

Involve your family for support

The entire family is affected by unemployment, so don't want to shoulder the issues alone. Keeping a secret about your work loss would only make the situation worse. The love of your family will help you survive and succeed, even through this difficult time.

·         Open yourself to your mates. Even if you are proud of being strong and self-sufficient, now is the time to lean on the people who care for you, whether it's to relieve the tension or cope with the sadness of work loss. Keep them in the loop and tell them how they can help you with your work quest.

·         Listen to the questions they have. Your family members, as well as their own security and future, are concerned about you. Give them an opportunity to speak about their questions and provide advice about your job quest.

·         Allow time for fun for the family. Set aside daily time for family fun where you can enjoy the company of each other, let off steam, and forget about your problems with unemployment. This will help to remain optimistic for the entire family.

Find other ways to define yourself

Our job forms our personalities for many of us and determines who we are. After all, one of the first questions they ask when you meet someone new is, 'What are you doing? When we lose our jobs, we believe like we are losing ourselves. But it's important to note that you don't have to define who you are as a person by being unemployed. It is up to you to identify yourself, not the state of the economy or the decision of a corporation to lay you off.

·         Pursue things in your life that offer meaning and joy. You may reaffirm that these items describe you as a person, not your employment status, by pursuing meaningful hobbies, activities, and relationships. We all have multiple ways to experience meaning and happiness, so pick one that's important to you.

·         Try a new hobby or pick up a long-neglected hobby that enriches your spirit. Now is the time to take a class, enter a club, or learn something like a foreign language or new work-related skills if you've ignored outdoor activities in favor of work. Look for events and activities that are inexpensive to attend at a time when money might be tight.

·         Creatively express yourself. Write your memoirs, launch a blog, take up photography or painting.

·         In nature, invest time. Work in your yard, go for a scenic hike, dog practice, or go fishing or camping. Spending time with nature is a great relief of stress as well.

·         Volunteer. An excellent way to retain a sense of meaning and intent in your life is to help others or support a cause that is important to you. Volunteering can provide job experience, social support and opportunities for networking as well.

Get moving to relieve stress

If work obligations have stopped you from regularly exercising before, now it is necessary to make the time. A effective antidote to stress is exercise. Exercise releases strong endorphins to boost the mood, in addition to calming stressed muscles and relieving stress in the body. Trimming your waistline and enhancing your physique can also provide a boost to your self-confidence.

·         Opt for 30 minutes or more a day of exercise, or split it up into quick, 10-minute activity bursts. For two hours, a 10-minute walk will lift your spirits.

·         Rhythmic exercise is a hugely powerful way to boost your mood, increase stamina, sharpen concentration, and calm both the mind and body, where you shift both your arms and legs. Try to go for a walk, run, weight lifting, swimming, martial arts, or even dance.

·         Focus on your body and how it feels when you walk to optimize stress relief, instead of trying to focus on your thoughts: the feeling of your feet touching the ground, for example, or the breeze on your face.

Eat well to keep your focus

When you're facing the stress of losing your job and trying to make ends meet, your diet could seem like the last thing you can concern yourself with. But what you put in your body will affect your energy and positivity levels tremendously.

·         Sugar and processed carbohydrates are reduced. Sugary snacks or comfort foods such as pasta, white bread, potatoes, or French fries may be wanted, but these high-carb foods easily contribute to a mood and energy crash.

·         Decrease the consumption of foods such as caffeine and artificial preservatives or hormones that can adversely affect your mood.

·         To give your mood a boost, eat more Omega-3 fatty acids. The best sources are fatty fish, seaweed, flaxseed, and walnuts (salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines).

·         Stop having nicotine. Smoking when you're feeling depressed can seem relaxing, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant, contributing to higher, not lower, levels of stress and anxiety.

·         Drink alcohol sparingly. Alcohol can alleviate worry momentarily, but when it wears off, too much may cause even greater anxiety.

Take care of yourself

The stress of work loss and unemployment can affect your well-being and make you more vulnerable to issues with mental health. It's important now, more than ever, to take care of yourself.

·         In your life, preserve equilibrium. Don't let the quest for work overwhelm you. Whatever revitalizes you, make time for fun, rest, and relaxation. When you are mentally, emotionally, and physically at your best, your job search will be more successful.

·         Get plenty of sleep. Sleep affects your attitude and productivity greatly. Make sure that you get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. Throughout your job hunt, it will help you keep your stress levels under control and retain your concentration.

·         Arse methods to relax. A effective antidote to stress is relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. They also improve your feelings of serenity and joy and teach you how to remain calm and collected, like work interviews, in difficult circumstances.

Stay positive to keep up your energy

The following tips will help you stay focused and upbeat if it takes you longer than expected to find jobs.

·         Keep your everyday routine a normal one. You will quickly lose motivation when you no longer have a job to report to every day. With a normal "start" and "end" period, with regular exercise and networking hours, treat your job quest like a job. It will help you be more efficient and productive by following a fixed schedule.

·         Build a search plan for jobs. When splitting big goals into small, manageable steps, avoid getting overwhelmed. Set goals instead of attempting to do all at once. Take some time to rethink your priorities if you're not lucky in your job search.

·         List the positives you have. Create a list of all the things that you like about yourself, including talents, character qualities, achievements, and achievements. Write down ventures that you are proud of, circumstances that you have excelled in, and abilities that you have created. To remind yourself of your strengths, reference this list regularly.

·         Rely on what can be regulated by you. You can't monitor how easily you're called back by a prospective employer or whether or not they plan to recruit you. Shift your focus on what you can manage during your unemployment, such as learning new skills, writing a perfect cover letter and resume, and setting up meetings with your networking contacts, instead of wasting your precious resources thinking about situations that are out of your hands.

·         Help yourself to remain on assignment. You can find it easier to follow through on good intentions and regain control of your work quest by learning to handle troublesome feelings, tension, and challenging emotions.