Redundancy, whether you knew it may be coming or the news was a complete shock, can feel like you’ve had the rug pulled out from under you.
You may feel a tsunami of emotions from anger, worry, shock, denial, to anxiety and lack of self -worth to name a few. There will be no logic to your emotions and it won’t be pretty or easy. But that is OK.
Redundancy can affect your confidence, relationships, mental health and overall wellbeing.
It is important to remember that you will get through this.
At the moment you must remember that you are not alone, it might make you feel different to people around you but in this global crisis even LinkedIn has a profile band to show you are looking for work.
If you don’t know anyone personally being made redundant reach out on forums and social media to ask for advice and support, one positive from this situation is that there are many supportive people who want to help you.
Now is not the time to be proud and try and do everything by yourself – this global pandemic is a time to reach out and ask for help.
Recognise you are not alone.
There a few practical pieces of advice that are worth considering as you tackle this road ahead.
Take a break on the first day after redundancy. Indulge yourself by doing something you enjoy and that makes you feel good or just spend time with family and friends. This will help to ground you, see all the good that you have and pause to take a breath.
Allow yourself a little period of time to mourn, redundancy can be disorientating and you can lose your sense of future, especially if you have worked in a particular role or company for a long period of time.
Remind yourself of everything that you are good at – what is your track record in skills and experience. You may feel tired, overwhelmed and foggy. Focus on the positive things you have accomplished whether that is professionally or personally.
You’ve got this. Keep going.
Tomorrow…….……….practical steps towards finding a new role.