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When you lose your job, there is a rainbow of emotions to be felt. Some people feel relieved – perhaps they hate their job and were looking to leave regardless. I was one of those.  Having gone through this when a major downsize meant I lost a job that I had grown to hate anyway.  Others panic, and this is the most common reaction. You need your job to keep living and earning money, and when that’s taken away from you, you immediately see all the things in your life that you can no longer afford, and you have no idea how you’re going to bring more money to the table.

Losing your job is hard no matter how it happens.  There are always moments of self-doubt.  Why me?  I thought I was doing a great job? Even if you secretly wished it.  Some people will lose a job due to unforeseen circumstances, such as an accident and subsequent injury.  That’s especially hard. You can read online for more information about how to get compensation that you need to support you after your accident, but you also need to know how to manage until then. It’s not easy to bounce back to it after you lose your job, but with the tips below you can make that happen.

Look Ahead. You can ask yourself over and over again how you could have changed what happened earlier, but you can’t change the past no matter how hard you try. Instead of looking backward at what you could have done differently, you should keep your future in focus and make that your goal. If you can no longer go out to work, focus on remote work and jobs that will allow you to work from your home office.

Do Not Focus On The Definition. Losing your job may be personal but you don’t have to take it that way. Your job doesn’t define who you are, it just states what you do. Make sure that your next role is going to work for you and you don’t need to be negative about the situation. Employers love positivity, so use your time away properly and you can continue to do well!

Self-Care. If you are going to be off work for some time, then prioritize caring for yourself. This can mean using your time off to do a course and educate yourself better so that next time you ready to climb to the top of the company that you work for. You could also work on getting better after injury, which can take some time.

Network. You’ve got friends and colleagues and previous people that you’ve worked with. Tap into them and see if you can gain any leads for another job. You can use the fact that you’ve lost your job to seek out new opportunities that can further your career as a whole – it can be a positive as new doors open for you. You’ve got friends out there and potential bridges with ex-employers that you can use to your advantage, so use them!

Bouncing back after a job loss doesn’t have to take months or years if you’re smart about the way that you use your time. Take a breath and make a plan that is right for you – and don’t be disheartened.