Psychologists say that when we lose a loved one, we go through four stages of grief before coming to terms with reality and fully accepting the situation for what it really is. The sudden loss of a job that has been such a big part of our lives can certainly have the same or similar consequences on us. Therefore, it is worth noting the four stages of dealing with a sudden layoff that we may find ourselves in:
Denial – The phase that will occur the very first morning when we wake up and realize that we are not going to work today after all. We will begin to wonder if this really happened to us, or if it was just a bad dream, and whether we really understood our employer correctly when he told us that our employment contract was ending.
Anger – Since we are rational beings, the denial phase cannot last long. After realizing the reality of the situation, it is quite normal for us to feel frustrated or even angry. We will be angry at our boss for firing us, at our colleagues who did not stand by us, maybe even at the government that could not do anything about it.
Bargaining – The third stage occurs with only one goal: to lithuania whatsapp data protect ourselves and avoid facing a loss, and then we are almost ready to do anything. We may beg our boss to take us back, we will suggest working double shifts, or we will express our desire to do even the most hated jobs. However, unfortunately, to no avail.
Depression – In this phase, we often hit rock bottom, and a series of negative thoughts overwhelm us. We start to think that life has no meaning anymore, or that we will never find another job, which can have a negative impact on our motivation and self-esteem. It is definitely recommended to seek professional help if this phase lasts too long.
By the end of the fourth stage, people usually begin to accept the reality of the situation. Then their optimism slowly starts to return, they start looking at alternative options, and they even manage to find something good in this whole "horror". It is at that moment that the change of identity that we mentioned a moment ago takes place - we "separate" from the company where we worked, ready to integrate a new life page into our identity.
So what to do if the worst-case scenario happens?
Sudden job loss is never easy to deal with, especially when you identify so much with your company or put so much effort into your job. However, there are a few steps you can take today to be better prepared for these and similar challenges in the future:
Be aware of the fact that this scenario can happen to anyone, including you. Because, unfortunately, nothing is "set in stone" these days, including your job security.
Accept change and uncertainty as your normal modus operandi . The fact is that the sooner you learn to function in such an environment, the better prepared you will be to face challenging situations, and the more likely you are to act smarter and more thoughtfully in the event of the worst.
Make a “back-up” plan as a precaution. This could be an alternative job, going into private entrepreneurship, moving, or something similar. If you really put in the effort to make this plan, you will essentially gain two good things: you will know exactly what to do in case of the worst, and over time you may like your plan so much that you won’t have to wait until you get fired to put it into action. ?
Regularly work on yourself, and become aware of and develop your own talents and abilities. Not only will you gain very useful insights into what you are good at, but you will also improve your own motivation in the long run.