8/9/2019 Six Tips for Recovering From Job Loss

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Almost da ily, newspaper hea dlines a nd t he evening n ews ar e filled with

talk of another compan y merger or an other plan t closing. When compa nies

merge or a re bought out by oth er compa nies, inevitably jobs ar e realigned,

altered, or eliminat ed altogether .

Job loss can be devastating both emotionally as well as financially for thehu ndr eds of worker s who are t old weekly tha t t heir jobs will be termi-

nated. Grieving over a job loss is only natural, especially when the person

losing t heir job is not a t fau lt. The st ages of grief over a job loss a nd th e

symptoms a re very similar to those experienced when th ere is a deat h of a

fam ily mem ber.

There are two aspects of job loss: the practical and the emotional. The real-

ity of job loss is dea ling with loss of income a nd benefits u nt il gainfully em-

ployed aga in. Em otiona lly, the cons equen ces of losing a job are just as r eal.

The self-image an d wort h m ay be dama ged while fears a bout th e fut ur e

an d th e ability to meet finan cial comm itment sma y be overwhelming. Many worry about how

th ey are viewed by oth ers.

The m an ifestat ions of job loss a re real a nd can

be debilita tin g. If you h ave r ecent ly lost you r job

an d feel th at you ar e having trouble with in -

crea sed s tr ess; if you feel defeated ; if you find

your self at odds with oth er family members

more frequently th an norma l; or if you ar e sick

more frequ ent ly, you m ay be experiencing job

loss gr ief.

Wha t can you do to overcome t he feelings of hopelessness an d desper at ion

that frequently accompany job loss?

1. Take time to grieve. Coping with , and getting th rough, an y type of

grief, includ ing th e grief over losing a job, tak es tim e. Even th ough

Job loss can be devastating both

emotionally [and] financially . . .

Six Tips for Recovering from Job Loss

A L A B A M A C O O P E R A T I V E E X T E N S I O N S Y S T E M

A F a c t S h e e t

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Dr. Jacquelyn P. RobinsonCommunity Workforce

Development SpecialistState Headquarters216 Extension HallAuburn University, AL36849-5631Telephone (334) 844-5353FAX (334) 844-9022

jrobinso@aces.auburn.edu

Visit t he Commu nity Resource Developmen t h ome page at w w w . a c e s . e d u / d e p a r t m e n t / c r d /

November 3, 2000Volume 1, 10

Job grief recovery tips:

1. Take time to grieve.

2. Keep a diary of your

feelings.

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Form a new dailyroutine.

5. Form a supportgroup.

6. Mount a job search.

Hi gh l igh ts

8/9/2019 Six Tips for Recovering From Job Loss

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PAGE 2 THE W ORKPLACE VOLUME 1, 10

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other

related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M

University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without

regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

you m ay be restr uctur ing your life

ar ound a n imposed car eer cha nge, it is

importan t to acknowledge your grief.

2. Keep a diar y of how you feel, both good

an d bad, for at least a month . Confront-

ing your hu rt, frustra tion, an d fearsmay be the first step to healing the hur t

an d t o help stop feeling like a victim.

Equally important are r emembering

su ccesses exper ienced on t he pr evious

job, th e good times you h ad with co-

work ers, an d th e cha ra cteristics you

like most about yourself.

3. Exer cise regular ly. Vigorous exercise on

a r egular basis helps redu ce stress lev-

els an d lessen th e day-to-day irrita nt s.

It a lso helps you r elax and become men-ta lly focused.

4. Form a new (tempora ry) daily routin e to

follow u n til you find your next job. Rou-

tines h elp clear t he m ind, keep produc-

tivity high , and p romote a feeling of us e-

fulness.

5 . Form a support group among your

friends a nd fam ily. Socialize with t hose

who car e. It is helpful kn owing th at you

ar e not alone an d th at t he feelings you

are having are n orma l. Being aroundothers is a very importa nt part of the

hea ling pr ocess. These individua ls ma y

also provide valu able leads on pr ospec-

tive jobs.

6. Mount a job sear ch. Get orga nized by

ma king a list of all available organ iza-

tions, compa nies, an d a gencies within

driving distance. Revise your resu me a nd

begin kn ocking on d oors, m akin g phone

calls, and writing letters of application.

D r . J a c que l yn P . R ob ins on

C ommu ni t y Work fo rc e D e ve lopme n t S pe c i a li s t

Al a ba ma C oope r a t i ve E x t e ns i on S ys t e m

Sources:Hakim, C. (1993). When You Lose Your Job. San Franscisco, CA: Berrtet-Koehler.

Rich P., & Copans, S.A. (1999). The Healing Journey Through Job Loss: Your Journal for Reflection and Revitali-

zation. New York: John Wiley.