Coping With a Layoff: Staying Grounded While Creating Your Next Chapter

Behind every anxious moment lies the chance for a fresh start.

Being laid off can shake the ground beneath you. One day you have a steady paycheck and a familiar rhythm, and the next, you’re facing uncertainty. It’s not just about finding a new job—it’s about processing the sudden change, the loss of structure, and often, a blow to your confidence. As a life coach, I often remind clients: The layoff doesn’t define you, but how focused you are on your future goals and dreams and the actions you take toward them does matter.

Honor the Emotional Impact

Layoffs can trigger grief, anger, anxiety, or even shame. These feelings are real and valid. Pretending you’re “fine” only delays healing. Give yourself permission to acknowledge what you’re feeling: journal it, talk with a trusted friend, or simply say, “This is a hard moment, and I’m allowed to feel it.” Naming your emotions takes away some of their intensity.

Pause Before You Push Forward

The instinct may be to jump into job applications right away. While action is important, so is creating a moment to breathe. Layoffs can feel like a personal rejection, even when they aren’t. Taking a short pause allows you to ground yourself and approach the job search with more clarity, rather than panic.

Reframe the Story

Instead of carrying the belief that “I was let go, so I must not be good enough,” shift the story: “I now have space to realign with what matters most in my career.” This doesn’t erase the hardship, but it prevents you from internalizing blame and opens the door to possibility. Remember: The layoff doesn’t define you—it’s your commitment to building your future that matters.

Build Emotional Regulation into Your Day

Job searching after a layoff can feel like an endless rollercoaster. Establishing small, daily practices helps keep you steady:

• Movement – Walks, yoga, or stretching release stress stored in the body.

• Mindfulness – Simple breathwork, meditation, or even a two-minute pause to check in with yourself.

• Structure – Create a job-hunting schedule with breaks, so the process feels balanced rather than consuming.

Coping Tools for Resilience

Developing a personal toolkit can help you reset when setbacks happen:

• Affirmations – Reminders of your strengths and accomplishments.

• Break rituals – A walk outdoors, calling a supportive friend, or journaling.

• Support circles – Career groups, coaching, or community networks where you can share the journey with others who understand.

Focus on What You Can Influence

You can’t control a company’s restructuring or the job market pace. What you can control is your effort, mindset, and how you care for yourself. Celebrate the small wins: refining your résumé, reaching out to a contact, practicing an interview answer. Each step restores your sense of agency and keeps you moving forward.

Keep the Long View

This chapter is not the end—it’s a transition. Many people discover that being laid off, while painful, created the opening for a more fulfilling career move. By leaning on emotional regulation and coping tools, you give yourself not only the stamina to get through the job search, but also the clarity to choose a path that aligns with who you are becoming. The layoff isn’t your story. The way you stay focused on your goals, dreams, and consistent action steps is what truly shapes your next chapter.

Try This Exercise: Your Daily Reset Ritual

1. Morning grounding: Before opening your laptop or looking at job boards, write down one goal for the day (career-related or self-care).

2. Midday check-in: Pause for three deep breaths. Ask yourself: Am I moving from panic or from clarity right now? Adjust if needed.

3. Evening reflection: Write down one action you took that moved you closer to your goals and one thing you’re either grateful for or found beautiful in your day.

4. Anytime an emotion rises up: Pause and walk through these steps, guided by Brené Brown’s CTFAR method:

   1. Circumstance: Name what is actually happening—not what your mind is making up.

   2. Thought: Identify the thought you’re having about it.

   3. Feeling: Name the emotion that thought is creating.

   4. Action: Note the action you took or will take in response.

   5. Result: Notice what results happened—and reflect on how choosing different thoughts or actions might create different results.

      ✨If negative thoughts keep repeating, do a Thought Download:

      1. Grab a notebook or open a blank document.

      2. Write down every thought in your head, unfiltered, for 5–10 minutes. Don’t edit—just let it flow.

      3. Step back and read what you wrote. Circle the thoughts that are clearly untrue or unhelpful.

      4. Pick one thought to challenge: ask yourself, “Is this fact or just a story my mind is telling me?”

      5. Rewrite that thought into something more grounded and supportive, then re-run it through the CTFAR steps.

This simple reset ritual keeps you emotionally steady, focused on progress, and connected to the bigger picture.

Until Next Time,

Wendy Wheeler

Schedule a free 30 minute consultation.