Of life’s more devastating crises, losing your job can feel like it’s up there with the worst of them. It’s no wonder as the vast majority of us rely on our pay packet to make ends meet.
Suddenly facing into living on a substantially reduced income is daunting. For many, employment also gives a sense of self-worth and dignity which is stripped when we find ourselves out of work.
Telling family and friends you’ve become unemployed isn’t something many of us relish.
It’s at these times that we need to be most attentive to our well-being. Probably the first thing to do is to find out what kind of unemployment support you’re eligible for.
The fairness of the amount of money paid to jobseekers is the subject of provoking debate. This is the wrong place to explore those arguments. What is almost certain is that you have an entitlement to something.
Finding out what that something is and applying for it can help give a degree of security that there is something to fall back on.
Every cloud has a silver lining so goes the old saying. In that vein, take losing your job as an opportunity to do a career audit.
Look at all the things you liked and disliked about your old job and see whether you were going in the direction you wanted to. If you liked your work, you can look for similar positions elsewhere.
If you didn’t, or you didn’t like where you were heading, this can be the opportunity you needed to change path. Being temporarily out of work might be the chance you required to upskill or reskill.
Wherever you find yourself, try to treat finding a new job like a job. This helps to give structure to your day and ward off unhealthy patterns which can lead to depression and anxiety.
Stay social! Most people have experienced periods of unemployment. Losing contact with family and friends because you want to retreat into your shell can mean you miss out on the valuable advice and support they have to offer.
It’s also possible someone you know might be the connection you need to a job vacancy. Volunteering can also open up opportunities as it both allows you to prove your worth to potential new employers and gives you chance to network.
Not losing sight of your hobbies and interests also gives you something to look forward to.
If things get really difficult, there are services out there which are set up to help you.
MABS is the key one but there are also others like the INOU who you can look to for support immediately you lose your job or even prior to this happening.
There’s no doubt losing your job can feel like the end of the world but in fact it could be just the opportunity you need to open a bright, new one.
SEE ALSO – You can check out all of Andrew’s columns here
