How to keep positive when facing redundancy or unemployment

‘If you think you can, you can, if you think you can’t, you can’t; either way, you are right.’

Most of us rely on our job, not just to pay the bills and give us the lifestyle we desire for ourselves and our family, but many of us define ourselves through the work we do. Work gives us a sense of purpose, status, identity and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. As a large percentage of our day is taken up with all things work-related, losing our job is deemed to up there with other stressful life experiences such as bereavement, divorce and serious ill health.

However, as with any unexpected life occurrence, how we choose to view the situation and how we deal with it, can be the difference between what we deem to be personal success or failure.

Pavlenka, who specialises in dealing with change, offers these tips to  those who have recently lost their job.

Firstly, allow yourself a brief but valuable period of time to let the news sink in.
It will be a time of experiencing inner turmoil but it is important to eventually adopt a positive attitude in order to move on and put all your energy into addressing the situation. Yes, life can be unfair at times but as an ancient philosopher once said:’ the only thing in life that is certain is that life is uncertain; and the way you view this unexpected change to your life will be the first step towards actually doing something positive about it.  Positive thoughts produce positive outcomes, just as negative thoughts can attract negative ways of thinking and behaving.
 

Next, update your CV,
making sure it is accurate, has no spelling or grammatical errors and follows a logical format. Remember, it is a competitive world out there and you want your CV to stand out above the rest. (If you are unsure of where to begin, there are many free, online CV advice sites and your local jobcentre will provide you with free advice and guidance).
 

List all your skills.
Whether you have been in full-time employment for a long or short time, you will have gained many skills which can be transferred to various types of work. The days of staying in one type of job or profession (like our parents and grandparents) is a thing of the past and therefore we have had to adopt a ‘multi-skilled’ mentality in order to survive the changing economic climate. Again, enlist the help of someone who can help you; a friend, government agency or life coach.
 

Make a list of areas....
you feel you need more experience in and do some research into what free training courses there are. If, for example, you are lacking IT knowledge, consider enrolling on a free Learn Direct course which you can work on at your own pace.
 

Get rid of the gremlins.
As our beliefs are the foundation behind how we think, behave and view the world around us, it is only natural that losing your job will evoke feelings of despair, anger, worry, apathy and reduced self-confidence. One of the key factors to living through this episode in your life & coming out the other side unscathed, is to look on how the situation might be seen to be a positive rather than negative thing.
 

Have you always had a dream to start up your own business or change careers?
Wanted to take a year out? To spend more quality time with the family or downsize? It is at such times that it is possible to discover our inner strength and resources and take a leap of faith and believe that, just as one door shuts, so might it be an ideal opportunity for another door to open.
 

Put things in perspective.
You may not feel like you have much to smile about, when the bills are piling up and you have no idea how you are going to pay this month’s mortgage, but, as long as you have done everything in your power to inform the right people, (rather than burying your head in the sand in the hope that it will all go away), there is still a lot to be thankful for. Allow yourself time to enjoy the company of your nearest and dearest and appreciate what you still have. We can gain and lose money in this life, but one thing we will never get back is time!

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Why not take your first steps to success now and contact pavlenka