5 Painful But Important Things to Do When You Lose Your Job

The following is a painful but crucial to-do list anyone who’s been laid off should follow, based on my experience:

1. Acknowledge Your Emotions, Then Move On

Immediately after you’ve been let go, you may find yourself experiencing a range of emotions: panic upon saying goodbye to a regular paycheck, exhilaration as you embrace life without a set routine, rage when you reflect on all the long hours you devoted to your former position—the list goes on.

Rather than get caught up in each of these, recognize that they’re all normal.

But then—and this is the tough love talk everyone needs in this situation—move on and focus on the future.

In the case of both my layoffs, multiple colleagues were let go at the same time. Proving the old adage “misery loves company,” we served as our own little support group, commiserating together, motivating each other, and sharing leads.