Job Transition: 12 Tips to Keep You Sane

Sanity Tip #1 Normalize Job and Career Changes.
Job transitions is the New Normal!  You have company. Millions of workers have been laid off in the past ten years.  And right now, over 40% of the workforce would like to make a job change.

Sanity Tip #2 Expect Changing Emotions During Job Transition.
All Transitions, whether planned or unexpected, trigger emotional ups and downs.  You may feel devastated about your layoff, however, you are also somewhat excited about a new opportunity.  Emotional ups and downs will happen.

Sanity Tip #3  Keep having fun!
A job change is hard and scary but focusing only on finding your next job will exhaust you.  To stay healthy, keep doing those things that you find fun.  Go to a ball game.  Hit a movie.  Invite friends over for a barbeque.

Sanity Tip #4.  Hire a coach or counselor.  What’s the difference?
Coaches will help you focus on the future, your dream job, what a new job will give you and strategize with you to make it happen.  Counselors help you process grief, anger and the trauma of losing a job.  Both counselors and coaches will guide you through your job transition.

Sanity Tip #5.  Journal Your Thoughts!  Write It Down.
Confusion often takes over during a job transition.  To gain clarity writing down your various thoughts, fears, your anger, worry and your excitement about the future will bring clarity to the confusion.  Write down what you worry about in the middle of the night.  Fill up a page with your angry feelings.  Put down your secret dreams for a new career.

Sanity Tip #6  Join a Job Club.
Talk regularly with others going through a job transition.  First of all, you’ll notice you are surrounded by some talented and experienced people.  Losing a job does not need to trigger a serious loss of identity.  Find out what others are doing in their job searches.  Offer and receive networking names to help you land.

Sanity Tip #7  Pray and Read Inspiring Material.
Praying and meditating on inspirational writings will bring you into a new perspective.  If you are a person of faith, just realizing that God is there, and that he cares about your job is encouraging.  Inspirational writers provide just the motivation to hang in there, one more day, one more week.

Sanity Tip #8  Hit the Gym.  Take a Walk.
Exercise simply makes us happier.  It is well known that endorphins increase with exercise, and endorphins lift our spirits and up goes our sense of well-being and self-confidence.  Most job searches take a few months, and exercise will keep you healthy and upbeat throughout your transition.

Sanity Tip #9  Get together with Friends and Family.|
There is a tendency after a job loss to pull back, go it alone, tell no one about your layoff.  You need to simply do the opposite.  Ask a friend to lunch.  Invite the neighbors over for a cookout.  Visit your family that’s just a few hours by car. People care.  You don’t need to go into all the details, but you can enjoy your friends and simply mention that you are in a job transition.

Sanity Tip #10  Practice Humility.  Lose Ego.
Humility and humiliation are two very different things.  Humility is good, and humiliation is painful.  During a job transition, this is your time to receive help from others.  Let friends and family give you ideas.  You may not utilize all their ideas, but thanking them for thinking of you will grow your relationships.  Ego, on the other hand, prevents you from receiving care, ideas and help from others.  Ego is to be avoided.  And back to humiliation…job change is normal.  Everyone goes thru it, and you are still a great person.

Sanity Tip #11 Decide Friday Afternoon Next Your Week’s Goals.
Get on top of your week!  Waiting until Monday morning to figure out what to do next for you job search is mind numbing.  Make a habit of finishing up each week with a goal setting hour for your next week.  What did you accomplish!  What needs to be done next?  Lay out your next week activities and then enjoy a weekend.

Sanity Tip #12  Celebrate Every Win!
Our brains love celebrations, and if we keep telling our brains what we did right, our brains will want to continue accomplishing these things.  Write down what you did…5 applications, a start on a new resume, researched 5 jobs, talked to 3 neighbors about jobs.  Whatever you accomplished, celebrate in some way.