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To overcome the fear and anxiety of losing your job, you need to learn how to regain positive control one step at a time.
Losing a job can cause anxiety and even emotional trauma.
According to Dr. Charles Browning, a training therapist, psychological adjustments are needed to gradually overcome the crisis caused by job loss.
Perceive reality objectively
Losing your job is like falling off a cliff. Your mind goes into the worst-case scenario: no rent, expenses, fear of failure. But fear often distorts reality too much.
The first step is to recognize your catastrophic thoughts and challenge them. Psychologists call this cognitive restructuring, which means you need to rewrite the story in a more balanced way.
By reframing negative assumptions, we can reduce anxiety and improve decision making.
Act:Write down your worst fear about losing your job. Then, write a reasonable counterargument. For example, replace “I will never find another job” with “I have had a job before and I can do it again,” or “I won’t be able to pay my rent” with “I have emergency savings and other options to fall back on.”
Control what you can, release what you cannot
Uncertainty breeds anxiety. The mind wants security, but life doesn't work that way. Instead of worrying about what's out of your control, focus on what you can control.
Act:Make a list of controllable and non-controllable items. What you can control includes: updating your resume, applying for jobs, talking to recruiters, networking with others in your field, creating a new budget. What you can’t control includes: how long you look for a job, whether companies call back, whether the job market is tight.
By shifting your focus, your anxiety will decrease. You will regain a sense of power over your life and feel more in control.
Be proactive, not passive.
Anxiety can sometimes leave you feeling paralyzed and unmotivated. In this situation, action before motivation will feel more positive. The best way to combat fear is to take small, forward, positive steps.
Act:Make a daily plan to recover from job loss, for example, apply for jobs online three times a day, contact two support people, spend an hour learning a new skill.
Action breaks down fear and creates confidence.
Replace panic with constructive structure
Job loss causes a loss of daily structure, which can increase anxiety, stress, and depression. Emphasize establishing planned, intentional routines that will yield more positive results for you.
Act:Create a new daily routine. For example, morning exercise, inspirational reading, job applications. Afternoon skill building, networking, freelancing, online business idea generation. Evening rest, family time, inspirational reading, positive activities.
By introducing effective habits, we can retrain our minds to reduce anxiety and increase resilience.
Reframe job loss as a transition, not a failure
How you frame this experience will shape your emotional response. Instead of viewing a job loss as an end, reframe it as a transition. Many people find better jobs, start their own businesses, or find unexpected opportunities after failures that they would never have discovered had they not lost their jobs. So think of every failure as a “set-up” that will set you free.
Act:Reframe your thinking. If you initially think, "This is a total disaster," change it to "This is a turning point that opens me to new opportunities!" Instead of thinking, "I've lost everything," think, "I'm gaining a whole new direction that I would never have explored if that door hadn't closed, and I'm so excited to see that new door open."
The fear of loss or job loss can trigger a chain reaction of success in your life as that closed door challenges you to discover the door of better opportunity that is opening. Losing a job is scary, but the fear is temporary. Adaptability is what lasts.
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