One month ago this week I stopped working full time and was rather abruptly thrown into a situation of figuring out how to handle losing a job. It was semi expected but still hit me far harder than I expected it to and learning how to handle losing a job has been a process that I’ve had to figure out over the past month.
Losing a job is never easy, whether you expected it or didn’t, it was your fault or not it still sucks. With that said the last month has been so great in so many ways, while I still miss the people I worked with so much, I’ve realized how much I needed to move on from my last position and start pursuing something more in line with my interests.
When I first lost my job everyone kept telling me “well everyone loses at least one job in their life so at least you got one under your belt and at a young age you are able to figure out how to handle losing a job” I was shocked at all the stories of people I knew who had lost at least one job in their lives. It really can happen to anyone, at any level, as everyone kept telling me as I lost my job, you’re just another box to check, a lot of times it has nothing to do with merit just the nature of cut backs.
Here are my five tips for how to handle losing a job, so far anyway, like I said it’s only been a month!
Let yourself grieve // and with this goes giving yourself time. It’s hard to lose your job, it turns your whole life upside down and takes away your routines. I took a trip to Florida 2 days after I lost my job and for me grieving and giving myself that time to think and process was essential in this entire process.
Talk to your family and friends // losing a job is nothing to be ashamed of, like I said, it happens to so many people over the course of a career and you need a support system during the time of unemployment. Talk to them about what you’re thinking and feeling and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve had some really incredible people support and help me over the course of the last month.
Set a routine // it’s easy without a set schedule to get into the habit of sitting on the couch or in bed and binge watching Netflix every day. And don’t get me wrong I’ve had a few of those days in the last month. But by setting a routine I’ve been able to stay productive and avoid sitting in my apartment doing nothing all day long (although that definitely has happened too every once and a while ha!)
Figure out a game plan // Assess your situation and your finances and start to evaluate what your next steps should be. How are you going to handle losing a job? Are you going to look for other jobs or pursue a passion project? Travel a little bit or stay put? For me, I needed to take a step back and look at what I wanted to do next, if the path I was on was the right one and if not, how to fix that. I’m taking an amazing trip to Bali to help me figure out all of these things and when I get back I intend to really buckle down and start looking for other jobs.
Enjoy your newfound free time // what aspects of your life have you been neglecting while working full time? For me it was health, fitness and prayer. I’ve been able to really take a step back and focus on eating healthier, working out more and being more intentional through prayer. I’ve also been able to travel quite a bit to see family! Things I neglected for 18 months while working full time I’ve been able to really take a new look at with all of my new free time.
Overall, how to handle losing a job is unique for everyone, these are just the tips I’ve found to be particularly helpful through the last month and I hope they are able to help you if you’re ever in the situation of needing to figure out how to handle losing job! I’ve had a great month being able to regroup and figure out what’s next, it’s been amazing to be able to focus on bree west and how to grow this space. I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings and what comes next!
