Prepare Yourself Emotionally for Surviving Job Loss - 5 Tips

Almost everyone fears getting laid off. The sudden loss of income. The loss of prestige and standing, since so many people define themselves by their jobs and careers. What people should be most afraid of is the effect that job loss has on your spirit and psyche. Surviving job loss for many people means surviving emotionally.

In hard economic times, everyone should be preparing themselves for possible job loss. There are plenty of tips out there for making a household budget. Writing a resume. Looking for that next job. But are people preparing themselves emotionally for job loss?

Here are 5 suggestions for preparing yourself emotionally for losing your job. Now, this is not a psychological treatise on mental preparation. Don't use this article if you have serious emotional issues or need professional help. These are probably things you haven't thought about, but might come in handy.

1. Realize your worth is more than just your job. Your job simply defines your income, and really only defines what your employer thinks your income should be. I moved once to a new job - involuntarily - and lost 33% income, and became tremendously happier in a better position.
2. Move from blame to planning quickly. One of the universal emotional reactions to losing your job is blaming yourself. But if you have prepared yourself emotionally, then that period of blame becomes very short. You move quickly into planning to get the next job. And during a period of job loss, time is your enemy.
3. Prepare your family emotionally. It doesn't help your spirits and your attitude if your family is still stuck with dealing emotionally with the shock of job loss. Tell them ahead of time what to expect and how you as a family can deal with it.
4. Set up your support system. This is more than just gathering your buddies and going out to dinner or drinking or playing video games. It is lining up people who can help you from a get-another-job perspective.
5. Shift your mindshift to "my new job is to get my next job." The only focus you have after getting laid off is to get the next job. But right after losing your job, that is the last thing on your mind. Getting into that mindset as quickly as possible will get you there faster.

If your company is hit with job layoffs, and you lose your job, the emotional effect can be devastating. On you and your family. Without any preparation, it can just ruin your life. One problem is that you more easily slip into alcohol abuse or depression, which really ruins your chances of getting that next job.

So part of your strategy for surviving job loss is to prepare yourself for the emotional effects. This puts you already in the "I can get through this" mindset. This preparation, and having an actual strategy and plan for the hard times, can lessen the impact.