In this podcast we touch on the many emotions often experienced in job loss. Losing a job is one of the most significant and stressful events in life, affecting our identity and self-esteem, our family and friends, and our sense of security and safety. In grieving a job loss, we are suddenly thrust into an uncomfortable period of transition and uncertainty to something that is both “no longer” (my former job) and “not yet” (my new job). Some job losses are harder to grieve than others, especially if one is let go for performance reasons where the pain can be particularly acute. There can even be grief after one voluntarily leaves a job as you second-guess yourself and mourn the former colleagues you used to work with and the structure and routines of your old life.
I share my own painful experience with job loss and set the framework for future episodes that will provide a more in depth discussion of the feelings and emotions that often come up during job loss as we navigate through each of the the six stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, and finding meaning. I believe it is critical for anyone going through job loss to allow the space and time to fully explore deeply felt emotions about the nature of your loss, including feelings of shock, confusion, denial, anxiety, guilt, regret, anger, resentment, blame, and sadness as we work through the process of accepting our new reality. In many ways, grieving the deep emotions that come with job loss can feel like a long goodbye, but it can be a vital step in one’s transition and ultimately impact the search for a new position and our self-esteem. Fully grieving the job loss in real time can also shed light on the need to prioritize our self-care during the transition through the support of family, friends, former colleagues, and even the assistance of a therapist or coach to help us reassess our career and life goals with the best possible mindset to say hello to the new job opportunities that await us.
