If you’ve lost your job, there’s no denying that it can be a devastating ordeal. It can be a real burden, especially when your whole family depended on that job and the income it provided.

However, you can find the strength to recover from a tragic job loss. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the silver lining, but it’s always there waiting to be discovered.

Focusing On Your Self-Esteem

Your thoughts are very powerful. Sometimes you may think that you don’t have control over your thoughts, but you always do. Of course you should give yourself time to recover from the initial shock of a job loss, but it’s how you choose to react afterwards that makes all the difference.

When you focus on developing positive self-esteem, you’ll be able to think clearly and confidently so you can figure out what your next steps are going to be. You may even use this new opportunity to finally follow your dream job.

Have these tips in mind to keep your self-esteem intact:

• Give yourself time to grieve. Sometimes you don’t think of job loss as being the same as other types of loss, but the shock can be the same and you should allow yourself some time to go through the standard stages of grief. You’ll eventually recover from the shock, but give yourself an appropriate amount of time to absorb the situation.
• Look for a support system. You might feel especially alone after losing your job. Your initial reaction might be to run and hide and keep your emotions inside. Be sure to fight this feeling and, instead, rely on your support system. Remember: it’s okay to ask for help, that’s what your support network is for!
• Keep up your motivation. After the shock has worn off, it’s important to strive for a certain level of enthusiasm and motivation to find another job. You need to believe in yourself and trust that things will turn out for the best. Remember that your new job might be even better than your last one!
• Looking for a new job. When you’re ready to start the search, consider all of your options. You may want to consider whether or not you really enjoyed the field you were in before. Consider your job loss as a new opportunity. Maybe you’d like to try bringing your life into a different direction.
• Keep an eye on your finances. When you deal with job loss, you must also deal with the financial realities. Determine your current financial situation and how long you have until you must return to work. Maybe you have to find a job right away, or perhaps you have enough savings to consider other career options. Whatever the case may be, you should know what the financial implications mean to you and your family.

Make sure you have all the information you need, if you’ve been laid off unexpectedly. This checklist provides you with immediate steps to take to protect you and your benefits.

New Life: New Opportunities

After dealing with job loss, the best thing you can do is to think of it as a new opportunity in life. Sure, you didn’t choose to embark on this path at this particular time, but it’s important to roll with the punches.

Don’t be afraid to take risks. Also, don’t be afraid to adopt the attitude that everything happens for a reason. Bad things happen in life, but good things happen too. Stay strong for yourself and your family and your self-esteem will prevail. For help launching a job search in today’s digital world, check out www.chelliephillips.com/primed for strategies designed to land you in the interview seat faster. Also sign up for our free e-zine primed. It’s filled with job search and career development information.