I Got Laid Off… So, What Now?
As I’m sure you can tell by the title of this blog, I got temporarily laid off from my job due to COVID-19. I’m sure at least one other person reading this right now is also experiencing this similar problem. I’m not going to lie, I definitely sat in bed, upset for a couple of days, wallowing in my own sadness and self pity. Dealing with the idea of this pandemic alone is mentally challenging enough, but then after a few days of working from home already, I was thrown that curve ball that I was being temporarily laid off for the foreseeable future, and realizing that I won’t be making any income really added to my already thriving stress & anxiety.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like all I’ve been seeing is blog posts about how to stay productive while working from home, but now that I’m no longer working from home, it’s easy to sit here and wonder, well A) what the hell do I do with all of this free time I have?, and B) how do I stay positive and not fall victim to depression and sadness? In today’s post, I want to share what has been helping me feel get over the hump of feeling like I have no purpose. So let’s just jump into it:
Let Yourself Feel What You Need to Feel in the Moment
The first couple of days after finding out I got laid off, even temporarily, I let myself just be what I needed to be - which was downright sad & upset. Not only is this whole virus pandemic in itself, scary as hell, but then to have to cope with the fact that you’re not going to be making an income during this? I was pissed off, I was sad and frankly, I felt extremely depressed. I let myself cry, I let myself be angry & I let myself sit in bed for a little while moping about it. It’s hard not to feel angry, sad and confused as to why you’re being temporarily laid off, so my best suggestion is to just let yourself do it. I can promise, emotionally, you’ll feel a weight lifted off your shoulders.
Get Some Fresh Air
It’s really hard being told you can’t really leave your house right now other than to get the essentials (PS, major shoutout to all of the workers of essential services right now. You guys are the only reason we’re going to be able to get through this, and for that, I thank you guys so, so much). I’m not much of an outdoorsy person, but getting outside to take a little walk - WHILE PHYSICALLY DISTANCING FROM OTHERS THAT YOU DO NOT LIVE WITH - is something I can’t recommend enough. Even just open your window, and let the fresh air in. It’ll make your home feel like stuffy and I don’t know about anyone else, but kind of tricks my brain into thinking I’m not stuck in the house on a mandatory lock down.
Listen to Happy Music
Or watch a movie that brings you joy, and gets your mind off things. I can’t even begin to tell you how much Disney+ I’ve watched in the last week because Disney movies bring me a lot of happiness, and get my mind off of how horrible it feels to be in the world right now. Happy music, and movies that bring you joy are going to make you realize that we can get through this, and we will get through this, together. We’re all going to come out as better people after this too.
Eat as Healthy as You Can
I know, I know - it’s so easy to fall into eating chips & dip, candy and other junk foods during self-isolation and especially when you’re upset that you’re no longer working. Yes, you can indulge on your junk foods from time-to-time, but do your best to eat as health as you can. Your health aside, this comes at the recommendation of doctors during this pandemic as well, so that your immune system is running high - so try to keep up with healthy eating and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. If you meal plan your lunches like I do, it’s not a bad idea to continue doing that to create some normalcy in your routine.
Start a Passion Project
When I called my boyfriend to tell him that I had gotten temporarily laid off, and was practically in tears, one of the first things he said to me was “take this time to do what you’re passionate about - work on your blog, create content!”, and he was right. Of course, like I said before, I had to let myself feel what I needed to feel, because honestly, I had never felt so creatively drained, uninspired and unmotivated than I had in the past couple of weeks. But once I got over that hump of feeling sad and depressed, I had started to feel my creativity come flooding back (hence, why I’m writing this blog post right now!). Keep yourself busy by working on passion projects that bring you joy, whether it’s a blog, photography, writing, practicing a new skill - whatever it is, make sure you keep your self happy, and your mental health, healthy.
Turn Off The News!
I can’t tell you how much the news has been the most mentally & emotionally draining part of this whole pandemic. It’s so easy to get sucked into wanting to constantly know the newest thing, the newest numbers, the newest recommendations, but just do yourself a favour and turn. off. the. damn. news! Now, make sure you are properly informed of course, but don’t let yourself get absorbed into it. Make yourself a rule to check the news once in the morning, and once in the evening. When they start repeating the same information, it’s time to turn it off. News networks spend most of the time telling you all of the doom-and-gloom things like how many people are infected, and how many people, unfortunately, who’ve died from this virus, but don’t spend nearly as much time talking about the good things, like how many people have fully recovered from this virus, and the fact that tons of vaccines are well in the works -- just take my word for it, and try not to listen to the news. Instead - get your information from the experts themselves, like The World Health Organization, your local government & your local health care system.
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
I don’t care if it’s something as simple as taking a walk, getting on the treadmill, or even going as far as ordering exercise equipment on Amazon, do yourself a favour and move your body at least a little bit. We all know that staying active is known to release endorphins that make you happy, and there’s no reason to think that wouldn’t also be true of moving your body while in quarantine and jobless.
Create a Routine & Try Your Best to Stick to It
One thing I am doing my best to try and not fall into, is sleeping in and doing absolutely nothing all day. I’m someone who’s usually up between 5:30am & 6am for work, and as much as I don’t need to be up that early right now, I’m still trying to wake up by 7am at the latest. As human beings we thrive on routine, so the best thing we can do for ourselves is create a routine while things are completely upside down right now. Try not to sleep in everyday, and if you want to do things like work on a blog, refine a skill, or exercise, make sure you’re doing these things around the same time, for the same time everyday. It’ll make things feel far more normal.
Get Ready Everyday
As much as it seems so easy to sit in your pj’s all day, do yourself a favour and get ready every day. No, I don’t mean you have to get ready with full glam make up and dress to the nines, but just get out of your pj’s and put on something you haven’t slept in. It can be comfy like leggings and a sweater, but there’s something about putting on clean clothes that will help change your mindset from “I’m in bed” to “I’m ready for the day”.
Remind Yourself that We Will Get Through This
Lastly, remind yourself each and everyday that we are going to get through this and things will go back to normal eventually. I know it’s hard to remember right now, but it’s something we must keep telling ourselves to keep on going. This is a weird time, I know, but we can and will defeat this virus, and our lives will get back to normal at some point. This is only a portion of time, not forever.
I hope this list of things helps all of you who like me, felt a little depressed and like I had no purpose. We do have purpose, we will survive and things will continue on. Stay safe, wash your hands, turn off the news, stay informed and stay strong - we got this. Until next week, xo.
