There is no doubt that it is ugly out there if you have been laid off. There is also no doubt that his life has changed drastically. And this can lead to a very real “layoff” depression. Here are some steps to deal with this very real and often debilitating depression.
1. Recognize that you are not alone. This may not help at 2:00 am, when you’re questioning what you’ve done in your career or worrying about your mortgage. Find a friend or spiritual advisor to call and talk.
2. Focus on what you did well. Even if he did something that resulted in him being fired, he didn’t do it all wrong. Executives who get depressed can often start to “go global” and believe they did everything wrong. This leads to more depression. Look instead at what you did right. Making lists of this can also help in the interview.
3. Use your contacts. You, as an executive, have more contacts than you think. Write down all your contacts and start contacting them. That’s what “contacts” are for.
4. Talk to everyone all the time. While this is difficult for introverts, it will also prevent sadness. Go out and interact with people. Don’t sit at home and watch the computer all day every day. While “computer days” are essential, the majority of your time should be spent interacting.
5. Develop your spirituality. If you have a spiritual side, now is the time to develop it. Talk to your spiritual leader about how you can constructively spend a small portion of your free time growing spiritually.
6. Develop an attitude of gratitude for everything. Study after study has shown that people who operate in an attitude of gratitude have a much longer life expectancy, drastically lower risk of heart attack, lower blood pressure, etc. It’s so much harder to be down when you start the day with gratitude for all the wonderful gifts you’ve been given and end the day the same way.
7. Honestly evaluate yourself. You’re going to have to do this anyway when you’re interviewing. Honestly assess what you did right and what you did wrong in your last job. Think about how you will do better in the future. Repeat situations where you were arrogant, rude, rude, incompetent, etc., but replace the “bad” you with a “good” you. Visualizing in this way will help you do better in the future.
8. Start thinking “outside the box.” Now would be a good time to look at new paradigms and ways of thinking, since it’s clear that your old way didn’t work quite right. Start thinking about how you might have found “out-of-the-box” solutions to various business problems you’ve had. Doing this will give you confidence for the future, as well as hone your decision-making skills.
9. Give up your anger. I know that things did not happen fairly. But then, they never do. Life is not fair. Get over your anger before the interview or you won’t get a job. Your anger is more evident than you think. Employers don’t hire people who are already angry before they walk through the door.
10. Be prepared to deal with some pettiness. The people you are interviewing can make you want to jump through hoops. Don’t let this get you down. People are petty. It’s their problem, not yours, although it may prevent you from getting a job. They feel sorry for their spouses for having to put up with them!
11. Put your ego on hold. Maybe even though you had the top chair, it wasn’t for you. Or maybe a higher chair is for you, but not in a big city. Maybe he could use a little more tutoring in her career. If your last two months of searching have been unsuccessful, find out why. Sometimes difficult experiences like a layoff or layoff can be a wake-up call. Maybe you were on the wrong path and fate intervened to help you change the way. Ask the hard questions over and over again and get help if you don’t know the answers.
These tips will help you keep your head up as you move through your transition. Just remember this time when you are on the other side of this process and help others too.
