The loss of a job can be one of the most challenging ordeals a person faces in their adult life.
Along with the drop in income – which can have varying effects on an individual’s day-to-day material needs – job loss almost always results in changes to a person’s emotional well-being.
Exploring appropriate strategies for dealing with the more difficult aspects of unemployment is particularly timely now, given that many people around the world are still struggling to find work in the wake of the recent global recession.
While securing gainful employment is often the first priority of a person who has experienced job loss, observing three key principals can help prevent the onset of depression or more serious maladies that often afflict the newly unemployed.
You are not your job
The first useful principal involves the realization and subsequent re-enforcement of the idea that a person is more than what they do – at least, in a vocational sense. A job often bestows a powerful sense of identity and community. These things, while vital to a positive self-image, are not the by-product of work alone.
Connecting with and preserving the qualities that make a person unique is often the first step in retaining an optimistic perspective in the face of indefinite joblessness. By doing this, esteem remains high, which is beneficial to the individual’s emotional disposition. It is also well-documented that prospective employers prefer to hire people with an upbeat attitude rather than somebody in the doldrums.
As well, identifying with a group outside of work - be it family, friends, church, school or a community organization – allows different sides of an individual’s personality to express themselves. On another level, this socializing can also lead to temporary or volunteer work positions which may develop into regular employment.
Letting go of the job
The second useful principal involves releasing control. Job loss is frequently associated with emotional confrontations, gossip and power struggles. Often individuals who lose their jobs are overcome with feelings of powerlessness – connected with the aforementioned loss of identity – and attempt to right the situation by telling their side of the story to former colleagues.
While this may seem cathartic, the opinions expressed by the individual could actually have an overall negative effect. Primarily, the act perpetuates the illusion that the person still has some control over what happens at the work site. Rather than an honest airing of grievances, it becomes an unconscious attempt to take back a job that no longer belongs to them.
Meanwhile by involving former co-workers, the frustration and anger felt by the unemployed individual is passed on, potentially sparking further disruption on the job site. Unchecked, this sort of relationship can upset long-term affiliations or even prompt criminal charges for threats and slander.
Unless the legality of the individual’s termination is questionable, the best course of action here is to move on and avoid contact with former co-workers until the circumstances surrounding their departure have subsided.
Life after the job
Lastly, the loss of a job is a chance to dream. Like the old proverb says, “When one door closes, another door opens.” The newly unemployed person with dependants and bills to be paid may not be able to follow their ideal career path but taking the time to consider the possibilities is always worthwhile.
Whether it’s professional re-training, self-employment or returning to school, there are numerous ways to deal constructively with unplanned job loss. And once the psychological component of unemployment is confronted, the biggest challenge is choosing which of these paths to take.
Chris Morgan - Hello! My name is Chris and I've been a writer and musician for most of my life. I'm 37, married, with two children and a kitten. We ...
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