Job loss, unemployment and the emotional roller-coaster

No doubt about it, being unemployed is an emotional roller-coaster.

How and what you feel will be totally unique to you. Some of the common emotions experienced after job loss include: denial, anger, sadness, guilt, relief, and perhaps, if you're honest, happiness. Your feelings may depend on variables such as your financial stability, job satisfaction, support structure and even your personal esteem. Just know whatever you're feeling is ok, so give yourself some time, let yourself feel it, and then move on.

When I first lost my job I remember feeling a sense of relief. The uncertainty of not knowing whether or not I would lose my job was more troubling to me than actually losing my job. The office environment had become almost crippling, as many people were fearful of losing their jobs and layoffs were a frequent topic of discussion. Although I was not happy about losing my job, and more importantly, it's associated income, I was relieved to be moving on.

Within a short period my relief changed to optimism. I was almost giddy with the excitement of moving on in a positive direction with unlimited opportunities. I saw my unemployment as an opportunity to further develop skills, spend more time with my family, do some volunteer work and position myself for the future. All great stuff.

But then, over time, my optimism faded to frustration. From June-December 2009 my phone never rang despite on-going networking efforts and frequent use of my "elevator pitch". There simply were few-no jobs available, let alone jobs that were a good fit for my technology background and Central NJ location. Further, the competition was crazy. It seemed that every marketing manager was out of work, regardless of their associated industry.

Earlier this year when I applied for a Marketing Director position I found out I was competing against approximately 500 other candidates. While I was confident I was well qualified for the job and my background was a great fit for their search criteria, it was a bit un-nerving to find out there was so much competition. Given the odds, I was pleased that I made it to their short list after undergoing several interviews. When I followed up, however, I was told that I did not get the job. The hiring execs wanted to continue their search for the "ideal" candidate.

Where do you go from there? You pick yourself up, brush yourself off, give yourself a pep talk and move forward. Like I said, being unemployed in today's economy is an emotional roller-coaster. Hang on and keep the faith, as eventually the ride will take us to where we truly want to go. As Dory says in Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming".

Best,

Paula



On a serious note:

Being unemployed is stressful, as it combines 2 of life's greatest causes of stress, Finances and Job. In 1967, Thomas H. Holmes and Richard H. Rahe did a study on the connection between significant life events and illness. As part of their study they compiled a chart of the major causes of stress. While the top 7 contributors of stress change as we age, they usually include:

1) Finances
2) Job
3) Family
4) Personal Concerns -one of the top sources of stress is lack of control!
5) Personal Health and Safety
6) Relationships
7) Death

For additional information, please visit http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Leading-Causes-of-Stress&id=473303

Next: Tips for Manging Stress