Tips for Staying Positive when Laid off
Rather than sink into despair during your lay off it is very important to remain positive and encouraged. Naturally, this seems highly improbable when you're buried in feelings of resentment, rejection, fear and unfairness. Nonetheless, if you allow these negative feelings to consume you they will undermine your energy and enthusiasm for what lies ahead. It is important to find ways to stay positive when you are laid off.
Though you may think that your every waking minute should be dedicated to finding work, you will need to take a break. It is best to find time to distract yourself completely from the job search. This will help put things in perspective and take you away from the discouragement of constantly hoping for something and being disappointed.
There is nothing wrong with actually enjoying yourself for a change and in fact it will be to your benefit to find things that make you feel good. You now have plenty of time to do things you otherwise couldn't before your lay off so remember that, as you spend hours hunting for work, you aren't being punished and deserve to feel better about your life.
Exercise is a wonderful way to not only get in shape but also help take you away from the negativity. Exercise will help your mood stay up and energize you. You may also feel a sense of accomplishment by tackling and achieving an exercise goal. Something as simple as taking a walk can help lift your spirits and put the negativity behind you.
If you have a hobby or other past time that you enjoy this would be an excellent time to devote more energy to it. Try to think of things you've been meaning to look into and felt you never had the time. Take a class at the local community college, attend a free lecture or workshop, spend some time in your local library and do some reading. Take a hike in a beautiful natural setting to lift your spirits. If you have children this may be a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with them.
Take the time to write down a list of the positive aspects of your lay off. You may think there are none but think again. If it's no more than your time is your own it still means you can enjoy a commodity that others would love having. Think of not having to get up to the sound of an alarm clock. Possibly this time is causing you to re-examine life goals and what you really want going forward. Perhaps you'll revisit work for which you have a true passion and turn it into something lucrative. Perhaps you've been given the ability to completely reinvent yourself.
Don't hide away and cover yourself in despair. The more you can rise to the occasion and make the best of things the better position you'll be in to attract what you really want. Take a different perspective on this challenging time and you may find your prospects are better than you believed they were.
