Millions of people are out of work and many more will lose their jobs. Even in good times there are large numbers of people who get fired, usually due to nothing about their own performance at work. Losing your job can be one of the most difficult experiences that you will face, so knowing how to cope with the time in between your last job and your next job will be important. We know that people who are unemployed are more likely to feel depressed, over- drink, binge eat, or even think about suicide. Your unemployment can affect your marriage, make it difficult to handle your financial pressures, and make you feel hopeless and ashamed.
You are not alone. But there are ways of coping with these difficulties that can help. Let's take a look.
- Realize you have a right to your feelings. You may be feeling angry, sad, anxious, and even hopeless. You have these feelings because you are human. These are your feelings and no one can take them away from you. But realizing your right to have painful feelings doesn't mean you can't do anything to make things better. You can.
These 10 pointers may not work all the time. You may already be using these ideas. But keep yourself focused on taking care of yourself so that you don't lose yourself after you lose your job. You need to be there -- in your own corner -- to help you through this difficult time.