Loss of a job whether through  redundancy or as is currently – business being forced to close is very hard not just financially – but for many, because they associate so closely with ‘where’ they do their work, rather than ‘how’.

It is hard financially – no question but for many people their fundamental identity and sense of self-worth is intrinsically linked to their work.  When we consider the emotional human needs (Tony Robbins) one of the top 6 is Significance.  How we feel significant in our lives is directly related to how we behave and show up in a whole range of different situations, for many, work gives them the sense of significance they desire. 

If we are totally aligned to our work for this reason over all others then the experience of being furloughed, being made redundant or sacked is often a crippling experience. The difference between how people cope is based around whether they have a purpose that dictates any work will do – then you will see how the examples of C level executives and pilots becoming delivery drivers who are happy about it contrasted with those who are devastated by the decimation of their specific industries.  There are others who are doing what they ‘Love’ and therefore the closure and loss of the arts, music and events industries has impacted hundreds of thousands of creatives who don’t want to do something else. 

It is a deeply personal experience but regardless of what need we are striving to fulfill  it impacts people’s self-worth – and for many men and women who are the sole providers for their families there is a financial burden that sits atop all of the other emotional need and beliefs.

If we can get to a point where we know there is NOTHING we can control other than our reaction to situations then we can move ourselves to a higher level of consciousness where we are not led by our emotional response, but that we have a view of how to live with and on purpose, and that our jobs are not the only thing that define us.

There are hard times to come as there have been before, unemployment has already risen and is likely to continue rising in sectors unable to recover from the pandemic. However there is a future and unless we can begin to see this as the start of a new chapter for the world, economy and our lives then feelings of hopelessness will take over.

The media driven bias towards fear and doubt means most headlines are driven by the need to capture our attention in a social and online world where competition for views is huge. This means the nature and tone of the message is often overly dramatic, catastrophic, highly emotive, and leaves people with feelings of despair that this is the end!

It is imperative to look for the facts in the emotional hype and to understand that often under the headlines where employers are cutting staff on the high street,  they are conversely often hiring for the online businesses.  It is then a choice of whether we are willing to change to the change in circumstances to adapt – or to fight the inevitable – which is that the economy and job market are constantly changing over time.  The issue here is that the pandemic has sped up the process, magnified it and most of all FORCED us to change – when perhaps we didn’t want to – and we’re not ready to!

Resistance to change is what causes emotional discontent. Regardless of how hard the situation is – if you can get to a place of acceptance rather than resistance – the easier you will be able to cope and overcome emotionally.