Rather than let the anxiety grow into panic, you need to find ways to be in control. If you suddenly find yourself out of work, two key areas will seem calamitous, finances and your job search. The two are obviously linked. The longer it takes you to find another job, the more serious your financial situation will be come. We give a concrete prescription for managing your financial situation and beginning your job search.
Before you let your anxiety get the best of you, read and define your own concrete plan for managing these critical areas. Create a complete budget plan. Get out a calendar and give yourself deadlines for creating your network list, designing a resume, and making a set number of telephone calls. In short, give yourself a job. If you realize that finding a new job will take some time but that you have control of your finances and your job search plans, you can drastically reduce the effects of open-ended anxiety.
Once again, the point is to act quickly to disarm the fears that can damage your job-search prospects. Don't spend three days worrying about finances before ever digging out your bank statements and putting a budget on paper. The sooner you start working on solving your unemployment problem, the more in control you will feel.
Depression
Phil is a construction supervisor who has been through several layoffs. "The first time," he recalls, "I had a simple solution to the problem: I drank. A lot. I'm not sure if I drank because I was depressed or if I was depressed because I drank, but I've learned since then never to do that again."
Many psychologists believe that reactions to sudden job loss are very much like the reactions people have to divorce or the death of a loved one: first shock, then anger and grief, and, finally, acceptance of the inevitable. Because anger and grief are a nearly unavoidable part of the emotional reaction to losing a job, depression can easily follow.
If you have struggled with bouts of depression in the past, you may be especially susceptible. Even if you have not experienced depression before, you should be on the lookout for some important warning signs, including:
- gloomy feelings of sadness
- feelings of helplessness
- increasingly negative or hopeless thoughts
- withdrawal from other people
- lack of motivation/inability to start or complete activities
- loss of concentration
- difficulty falling asleep
- waking early yet still feeling fatigued
- loss of appetite
There are a number of simple things you can do to counteract the effects of mild depression. Within reasonable limits, allow yourself to get more rest. You shouldn't stay in bed all day, but an hour or two of extra sleep can help you recover from the shock you have received. Exercise can be the best way to counteract the effects of depression. As long as you are in reasonably good physical health, spend at least one half-hour each day doing some kind of vigorous exercise. Swim, ride a stationary bike, find an aerobics program on public television. If you are not in good physical condition, you will need to start slowly. A good 20-minute walk can help get your blood circulating enough to make you feel better.
To ward off the effects of depression, you should be careful about what you eat and drink. Eat a balanced diet, and stay away from alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol is a depressant that may make you feel better temporarily but will almost certainly aggravate your emotional response to being out of work. Caffeine can perk you up momentarily, but it can also affect your ability to sleep well and feel rested.
