Sometimes Plans Change & That's Ok
Tuesday I was given some not so great, life-altering news. I knew I was getting ready to quit my job, and mentally I was already prepared to say goodbye, but for the sake of my bank account, I was holding off until I found a new job. That's when I got laid off. My whole life I've heard horror stories about mass layoffs, but I never, in a million years thought it would happen to me. Well, now here I am, almost 26, and I've been laid off.
My first reaction was relief, now I didn't have to deal with the confrontation of quitting my job. But then it hit me, how the heck am I going to pay my bills? That's when I started to get confused, scared and ultimately I reached the anger stage of my grief. Needless to say, this week has been a rollercoaster of all kinds of emotions, good and bad. Two years ago, this would have been horrible for my stress and anxiety, but now I am able to deal with things in a slightly more constructive way... Here's how:
Realize there is a good side. I don't necessarily see how the good out weights the bad, right now, but I know ultimately this is for the best. How do I know this? Simple. Every time in the past that I thought the world was crashing down, I eventually realized that horrible thing happened for a very good reason. So even though right now doesn't feel so good, there is a silver lining.
Practice Self-Care. If you follow me at all, you know that I am obsessed with self-care. Self-care becomes crucial in times like this. It's so easy to say 'screw it' and eat candy on the couch, but try to avoid that. Hit the gym a little harder. Take more baths. Journal about how everything is making you feel. Whatever it is that makes you feel better and is productive, go do it. Now.
Get mad, but don't stay mad. Anger is one of the 5 stages of grief, and for me, an important one. It's ok to feel mad. It's ok to yell at your journal in the form of writing, but once you get it out, move on. Don't let yourself stay mad.
Most importantly, move forward. Yeah, this bad thing happened, but life goes on, so should you. Every part of me wanted to just sit on the couch and veg-out doing nothing for the next couple of weeks. But instead, that very night, I revised my resume and applied to 15 jobs. Yes, fifteen. Life doesn't stop just because you had a bad day, so give yourself some time to feel the feels and then move forward.