Things You Should Do After Losing A Job

Did you lose your job? What are the things you should do after losing a job?

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My best friend was one of the most dedicated workers I ever met. He was always the earliest person to reach the office and the last to leave. Even when he had the flu or migraine, he would still go to work, worried that his projects might get delayed because of him. So, when the company started laying off employees, and he became one of them, my best friend took the job loss badly. Nothing and no one could cheer him up or make him leave the house to have fun. After all, losing your job is not easy, and that was exactly the case with him.

When my best friend’s parents called me for help, I instantly knew that things were not getting better after the job loss. I went to their house and kept knocking on his door, but he refused to open it. His mother had to open the door using the master key so that I could see his son.

Once I entered the bedroom, it took seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded it. There was almost no light in his room! When I saw my best friend, he was sitting on the bed, hugging his knees. He was also rocking back and forth, and his eyes were staring into nothingness. I realized then that his parents had a reason to worry about my best friend’s mental health and well being.

Instead of showing pity, I decided to act angry. I said, “Hey, man! What kind of a mess is this?”

My best friend uttered monotonously, “I don’t have a job anymore.”

“It’s the company’s loss, not yours,” I insisted. “Come on, let’s go out.”

“What will we do?” he asked.

Below are the non-mental-health-ruining things that we did. You can say these are things you should do after losing your job:

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Go On An Impromptu Trip

As soon as I got my best friend to dress up and leave his room, I dragged him to my car and sped away. I honestly did not have a destination in mind; I just went with my gut and hit the main road. We did not even bring a change of clothes and only had our wallets with us.

At first, my best friend complained about my lack of a definite itinerary and spending plan for our trip. But when we left the city and kept on driving past Nevada, he was already smiling. It was a better turn of events than we all expected, certainly making him feel better after his recently lost job.

Exercise

Since my best friend had pretty much given up on life when he lost his work, he visibly lost a significant amount of muscles after a month of hibernation. The man had always been lean, but now he’s merely thin because of the job loss. While walking out of their house, I prayed that a strong gust of wind wouldn’t knock him over. That was how much the job loss of his old position affected him.

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So, once we returned to the city, I brought my best friend to the gym that we used to go to. In truth, he made me sign up for it when I was dealing with weight-loss issues. I was merely returning the favor and doing something that I knew he would thank me for later.

Three times a week, we would go to the gym together. My best friend acted sluggishly in the beginning, but he eventually picked up the slack.

Meet Friends

We had a little heart-to-heart talk one day, and I asked my best friend why he never asked for my help after the job loss. He said, “I was too ashamed to call you or any of our other friends.” I thought that wasn’t very smart, and I made sure he realized that. Then, I encouraged him to see everyone over dinner. So if you just lost your job, about to lose your job, or on the job market to meet new career goals, ask your friends for help. They will help you after you lose your job and even cheer you on as you explore a new career. Losing your job is a hassle because you won’t be able to reap unemployment benefits at times. And once you’ve lost your job, your mental health can be affected.

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Again, the man tried to protest, claiming he wasn’t ready to meet our new friends because he was still jobless and on a job search. But my best friend listened (thankfully) when I told him that there’s no reason to try to impress anyone, much less the people he had known for three decades. As the night got deeper, we all saw our old, jolly friend return.

So again, your friends will be there for you if you lose your job. So what you became one of those job seekers? Your friends will still cheer on when you go job hunting in time. They are your friends for a reason. Losing your job doesn’t mean they won’t respect you or dislike you.

Job Search: Hop On The Job Market And Look For A New Job

If you lose your job, remember that it is not the end. My best friend called me a few days later. I assumed he wanted to confirm the time and location for our next get-together. Instead, his mind was slipping back into the darkness, which he didn’t like. When I asked what he’s been doing in his free time when he’s not exercising or meeting us, he answered, “Nothing.”

My suggestion was to go on a job search and start looking for a new job. After all, unemployment was the root of my best friend’s problems, so there’s no better way to resolve everything than by breaking the spell and find the next job. And since my best friend had an incredible track record, including his previous job, he got hired soon enough. This can be the same for you! The next job is waiting for you even if you have just lost your job.

Losing your job can be extremely difficult, and it’s okay to feel sad and down. But after some time, you also need to find the strength to go on that job search. Develop new skills, build your LinkedIn profile, maybe even consult a career coach if you’d like, and get a new full time job. A great LinkedIn profile can attract recruiters from the human resources department.

When you go on a job search, look for health insurance options, sufficient salary to pay rent, and other benefits on your new job. On another note, you can also check with your previous employer if they have severance pay.

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Bottom Line

I must say my best friend was still lucky because he only dealt with mental health instability for a month. Many people could have experienced it longer than that, and no one probably noticed or looked long enough to see it.

If you know someone who couldn’t get over the loss of something or someone in their life, teach them the non-mental-health-ruining things you just read above.

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