Coping after a Job Loss

Article By:Monica L. Bonsett
Family and Consumer Sciences Educator
04/21/09

In today's economy, the prospect of losing one's job is becoming a reality for more and more people. Most of us have been affected by job loss in one way or another. Many experts say that unexpected job loss can create an emotional reaction similar to that felt by other significant losses, such as death. All or some of the following stages will be experienced by most people following a lay-off:

• Shock or denial—even if it was somewhat expected
• Anger
• Resistance—may resist the job loss by trying to change the situation, such
  as taking a pay cut or agreeing to work less hours in order to keep the
  job.
• Sadness
• Acceptance

Not all people will experience all these stages and they might not occur in this order. Some people will go back and forth through the stages before finally accepting the job loss. The good news is that this is a normal process and you can work through these feelings and feel better. If you or someone you know gets stuck or has difficulty with the process, professional help may be needed.

Anxiety or depression can occur as a result of a job loss. The risk of health problems can increase after losing one's job due to a heightened level of stress. So it's important to take care of yourself during this stressful time by:

• Eating right
• Getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night
• Exercising regularly
• Seeking out emotional support
• Engaging in activities that you enjoy (even if just for 5-10 minutes a day)
• Thinking positively

This last tip is just as important as the others. How we view the things that happen to us, determines how well we cope with the situation. We will still get sad or angry at times and that is normal. However, it is important to try to frame our situation in a positive light by telling ourselves that we've gotten through tough times before or that this is only a temporary set back. This information is adapted from Dr. Heidi Liss Radunovich's UF fact sheet # FCS5265, entitled, "Coping with Stress During a Job Loss."

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