GGW Voices: From layoff to leveling up — How to ‘surthrive’ through a layoff

This article discusses the tangible steps to take if you or a loved one unexpectedly faces job loss.

Now, if your situation is anything like mine, the facts of the case are in the blink of an eye, and without warning. Suddenly, you’ve lost

• income
• benefits
• direct access to email/network
• cell phone
• laptop

So, your reality has shifted. The good news? The “worst thing” that can happen to you professionally has happened, and you’re still here. Two feet on the ground — well, maybe knees on the floor if praying (or crying). Now it’s time to take inventory and make a plan, because while feeling the feels — which includes all five stages of grief — is valid and a part of the process, there is so much more to consider and to, dare I say, get excited about.

You can view this as a stroke of bad luck or reframe it as a unique opportunity to reevaluate. Either way, the reality is you are now unemployed, which is NOT a dirty word. I repeat, being laid off or unemployed is not a scarlet letter. You will surthrive this.

Now for the perhaps unconventional guide of how to “surthrive” through a layoff. “Surthrival” is an obvious term that combines the concepts of both surviving and thriving simultaneously.

From layoff to leveling up, here’s how to surthrive through a layoff:

• Assess your financial budget; how long can you last with your entire net worth and monthly expenses?
• Cancel all subscriptions except the gym. You need your fitness and community now more than ever.
• Update resume – send to your network for feedback.
• Eat. You need your strength and wits about you now more than ever.
• Roll over your now previous employer 401k to a Roth or other.
• Apply for unemployment benefits in your state if you are eligible. You are a tax-paying citizen, and this is the time and place these programs are for.
• Call and inform at least 3-5 trusted people in your life about your shift. This way, you can’t isolate (no matter how much you want to sink into a blanket pile of oblivion with a pint of Jeni’s); there will be people checking in on you even if you don’t feel like talking yet or aren’t ready to let more people know.
• Start with your network: When it comes to the proverbial “what’s next?” KISS (keep it simple, silly). You’ve already created meaningful relationships that have gotten you this far in life. Contact coworkers, clients, past and current, and let them know you are available and what specifically you might be interested in doing.
• Give yourself grace and time to grieve. It’s a breakup; in my case, of the longest relationship I’d been in. It’s okay to feel hurt. Don’t let it become your mantra. Your job or career does not define who you are.
• Stay positive, or at least don’t dwell on the negative … focus on a list of things you do want from your next chapter instead of what you don’t wish to have: “I’m burnt out on travel.” You can say, “I am focused on a remote role.”
• Put some trips on the calendar and enjoy the time: think credit card points and flight vouchers and even about local attractions near you that you’ve always wanted to do but have been “too busy” for.
• Work on the goal, vision board, or journal — however you prefer to bring your plan into the world — and start documenting what’s next as the ideas come.