5 Tips for dealing with stress due to layoffs due to the Covid pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak has now caused more than two million cases worldwide and around two hundreds of people have died. The impact of this pandemic has an impact not only on physical health, but also on the world economy. Many employees are laid off because the company is no longer earning income and it stresses them out. So, how do you deal with stress due to layoffs?

Why does the stress of layoffs keep happening?

Losing a job is one of the biggest contributors to depression and stress. You see, not having a job means that your financial condition is unstable and causes new conflicts to emerge.

When the conflict arises, this can certainly add to the burden on your mind, aka stress. If the stress cannot be relieved and it gets worse, this condition will affect you mentally.

Moreover, during this time of the Corona outbreak, a number of people who were laid off had no income and were worried that they would not be able to make ends meet.

Even for people who want to find a new job, it can be difficult because the outside situation does not allow them to leave the house.

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As time goes by and the situation doesn't get better, coping with stress due to layoffs will be difficult. As a result, this condition can lead to anxiety, an increase in somatic symptoms, to depression. How could I not, the absence of income does not only affect financial conditions, but also relationships with spouses, family and even yourself.

Tips for dealing with stress due to layoffs so you don't get depressed

After being called by the leadership and officially dismissed from work, you may be going through quite a tough time. Feelings of anger, sadness, and disappointment will certainly emerge and are very natural because the reality is not as expected.

Therefore, it is important to manage emotions and stress due to layoffs so as not to lead to depression and worsen your condition. Here are some tips that might lighten the contents of your head when you are laid off from work due to the pandemic.

1. Venting emotions in the right way

Getting angry, sad, and disappointed when you get laid off from work are real and normal emotions. Naturally, you want to vent these emotions.

However, you need to deal with the emotions and stress on your mind as a result of this layoff in a more positive way and not harm yourself and others, such as:

• Give yourself time.
• Set a deadline for when to stop feeling sad and angry.
• Start preparing for a new life plan.
• If it's hard, telling others is a good option.
• Evaluate yourself and develop yourself to be better.
• Start looking for positive new activities in your spare time.

2. Losing a job does not mean losing your identity

If the stress caused by layoffs is not managed properly, your condition will continue to worsen and you will feel like you have lost your identity.

Keep in mind, losing your job does not mean you lose who you are. Your identity is still there, but you need to find a job that matches your personality.

For example, an accountant who is fired does not mean that he cannot apply for the same position. He just needs to find a new company that will hire him as an accountant.

Therefore, it should be understood that losing a job is not the same as losing an identity. Jobs can still be searched again according to who you are at that time.

3. Think positively even through difficult times

In addition to realizing that work is not everything, you can also deal with stress due to layoffs by keeping a positive mindset. Sounds easy, but it's certainly hard to do, especially in difficult times like this.

There are several stages that you can go through to fill your mind with positive things, namely:

• Accept the fact that everything will be fine.
• Realize that you are not alone in this condition.
• Start doing activities you enjoy, such as continuing your hobbies.
• Stay in touch with other people, especially when living alone.
• Learn to see from another point of view and try to be wiser to find solutions.
• Fight negative thoughts with facts and not overthinking.
• Never give up and keep doing your best for yourself.

At least, instead of lamenting what happened and can't be reversed, it's best to find a solution and start taking action. That way, you can control your emotions and stress due to layoffs properly.

4. Overcoming stress through positive activities

Who says dealing with stress due to layoffs can only be done by thinking positively? You can channel these emotions through positive activities, you know.

During this pandemic, it may be difficult for you to meet or just walk out. However, there are many things you can do without opening doors, such as starting a new hobby.

You may be able to start painting and exercising which is good for your health. Between your job search times, you can take webinars, read books, or just play games games , like composing puzzle .

Tired of being at home alone and other friends busy with work? Making new friends and people through social media is not a bad idea.

However, not all activities you can do carelessly. What's more, if your emotions and thoughts are still very vulnerable when looking at things related to work.

Try not to be alone for too long and busy with your own thoughts. The reason is, this can push you to bad things such as drinking excessive alcohol or using illegal drugs such as drugs.

If necessary, reducing communication or face-to-face with people you are uncomfortable with for a while is highly recommended.

Therefore, coping with stress due to layoffs through positive activities is one of the best ways so as not to continue to be aggravated by circumstances.

5. Motivate yourself

Coping with stress due to layoffs also requires motivation from yourself and those closest to you. This is so that you can keep going. Then it has support system important in this condition.

Look, feel down being fired from his job is normal. However, having people who can support you certainly makes it easier for you to get up. You don't feel like you're struggling alone.

Meanwhile, when you don't have support from anyone, it means that you are responsible for your own life. So, try to provide motivation for yourself and the future.

If someone close to you is experiencing the same thing, offering support to control the stress they are experiencing because of layoffs is a good thing. That way, you can do a good job of entertaining and motivating your friends to get up.

Prepare mentally when you know you will be fired

In fact, there are things you can do, especially when you learn that there will be a massive reduction in employees.

Thus, you can prepare yourself and be able to deal with stress due to layoffs, such as:

• Ask the company about the certainty of the news.
• Demonstrates the ability to see other opportunities.
• Start preparing and accepting reality.
• Evaluating and preparing provisions for the next work place.
• Don't beat yourself up.
• Start planning for the future.

Your life will continue even if you get laid off from work. Therefore, overcoming stress due to layoffs is one of the important things to rise from adversity.

Don't forget to remember that everything will get better quickly and keep making efforts to prevent transmission of COVID-19, especially when looking for work.

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