14 Easy Tactics to Recover From a Layoff

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The U.S. unemployment rate is a low 3.4 percent. But that still translates into millions of unemployed people who no longer have their sandwiches stolen from breakroom fridges or feel guilted by “Please wash your hands after using the restroom” signs affixed to workplace restroom mirrors.

Effects of Job Loss

Emotionally, a job loss feels devastating. A job is often a huge part of your personality and meaning. Unemployment also wreaks havoc on any structure in your life. Why get up in the morning if there’s nowhere to go? Why go to bed on time…or at all? Why not watch murder documentaries all day?

It’s hard to appreciate time off when it wasn’t your choice. As our structure and meaning fall away, depression often sets in. Never leaving the house and sitting around is a symptom of depression. But it may well be the cause. Wearing pajamas all day, showering at 8:00 p.m., and then putting on clean pajamas is the wrong approach.

There is a definitive association between increased unemployment rates and anxiety, mood disorders, or suicidal behavior. However, education and social support were found to buffer the negative outcomes of job loss.¹ And there are other evidence-based techniques to consider.

14 Tactics for Coping With the Absence of Occupation

1. Maintain a consistent schedule. Shower and get ready as if you were going out in public. What you wear doesn’t have to have buttons or a zipper, but it shouldn’t be satin or flannel and adorned with mermaids or dinosaurs.
2. Capitalize on any benefits that may be coming your way from the termination, including training, coaching, and resume services. And use your remaining insurance to get some free therapy while knocking out any medical and dental appointments you need.
3. Two of the worst feelings in the world are not having a job and having a job you don’t like. If your resume is a list of things you never want to do again, then talking with a career counselor is a valuable first step. Try to find a job that doesn't feel too “jobby.”
4. Focus on things you can control during unemployment, such as learning new skills, writing a great cover letter and resume, volunteering, and asking for raving LinkedIn profile reviews. Add to your network as many recruiters, hiring managers, and relevant trade or industry groups as possible. Networking is the last acceptable form of stalking.
5. Radically accept the situation as a temporary state, and then plan objectives to get back on a payroll at your desired company. By facing the fear of the unknown (e.g., involuntary “van life”), your anxiety decreases until it’s eliminated.
6. If you can’t sleep because you’re worried that your debit card feels more like a depleting gift card, take a matter-of-fact approach: “It seems my mind is too active to sleep right now, and trying to force sleep is counterproductive. I’m going to read a book for a while.” When you’re exhausted, it’s tough to pull an all-dayer without a nap.
7. Thought-chain negative beliefs and worries. For each anxiety, ask, “And what’s the worst that can happen?” until you get to the end and see that the worst result is not catastrophic. Anxiety is fear immaterialized.
8. Avoid comparisons with your former and existing peers. Comparison is the fastest route to misery. This includes comparing your real life with your former one, or the rehearsed versions that plague social media platforms.
9. Craft an elevator pitch that doesn’t end with “That’s me in a nutshell.” And remember that your body language communicates both internally and externally. Practice as you imagine yourself being fully commanding, like Winston Churchill when he delivered the “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech.
10. Ensure your social media profiles are set to private because recruiters and hiring managers love to surveil candidates. And if your email user ID is something like “partyhottie@aol,” you’ll want to create a more fitting title with a provider from this era.
11. Write down your core ingredients, starting each with “I am...” and write as many self-attributes as you’re able—no negative ones (e.g., “I am a hobo”). Marinate on your core merits.
12. Since your schedule is flexible, you can job search earlier or later, while hitting the gym, grocery store, trails, and roads when they’re relatively empty. Try to enjoy your “person of leisure” status while it lasts. Once you’re back to work, exercise, home-cooked meals, and time with family often become neglected.
13. During low moments, grab a pen and scribe. Research has shown that journaling helps reduce stress, solve problems more effectively, and even improve your health.² Regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes, and reduces the impact of stressors on your mental and physical health.
14. If anxiety or depression (or both) are hindering you, book a therapy appointment. Most therapists can work out a payment plan with a sliding pay scale on the basis of your ability to pay.

Unemployment often includes irrational, dystopian predictions about your future. Keep in mind that on any given day everything can change for the better.