Mental Resilience in the Face of Redundancy

We mentioned in our last blog article covering key tips about navigating a redundancy that your mental health is incredibly important during this time. Losing your job, in this current climate, naturally causes people to experience different emotions including stress, anxiety, and worry. However, you are not alone in facing redundancy and protecting your mental health and strengthening your mental resilience during this time are necessary to ensure that you feel confident again and eager to embark on a new journey.

 

In this article, we will cover a range of tips, which will help strengthen your mental resilience: what you can do to regain confidence and be mentally healthy but also things you should avoid doing.  We are grateful to our partners at The Recruitment Network for sharing valuable resources on this subject.

 

  1. Take Time for Yourself

Being made redundant can leave you feeling emotionally and physically drained. Whilst you may be tempted in jumping back into the job search immediately, this will not benefit your mental health in the long run.

 

Do set aside specific times during the day to work on your job application and other tasks and hobbies. Remember that the harder you are on yourself during this time, the more disappointed you will be and feel worse. Taking a mental health break after you have left your current role will refresh you. Perhaps try a new hobby, which can help you develop new skills (which may even link well with a potential new job) and do remember to maintain a healthy, balanced diet and ensure you get enough rest. Other good things to do whilst taking time for yourself are to see friends and family and stay active – a short, daily walk has many benefits for your mental health. These are just some of the things you can do to kickstart your mental resilience as you begin planning for the next stage of your career.

 

  1. Confidence is Key

Your confidence forms a large part of your overall mental resilience. Whilst it will be affected by you being made redundant, it will form a valuable part of your ‘bounce back’ into employment.

 

It’s natural for candidates to lower expectations following the end of a role: you may think ‘am I good enough for another role?’ or ‘what I did I do wrong?’. Nevertheless, you should not let these thoughts overpower your job search when the time is right to restart it. As we covered in our last article, your employer must be able to give you clear reasons for your redundancy. You can find the article linked here: https://longmirerecruitment.co.uk/2020/08/20/navigating-redundancy-challenges/ 

 

With the job market being more competitive, there are less roles available and organisations have witnessed on average a 300% increase in job applications for each vacancy.

 

That may sound daunting, but if you remain mentally resilient, focus on your strengths and keep your career goals in mind, you will succeed!  The main point is NOT to apply for roles that do not match your skillset, or perhaps are a step below your current level (unless you have a valid career goal reason for doing so, such as switching sectors etc).

 

It’s likely that there are not an abundance of roles currently matching your priorities, but should the right role come up, take extra time to write a strong supporting statement or cover letter and tailor your CV to the candidate requirements.  Ask a friend or a family member to review your application before you submit it.

 

Manage your expectations of your job search.  Once you feel ready to apply for new positions, be realistic.  It’s unlikely that you will be offered the first role you apply for and this all ties into your mental resilience.  Be prepared to apply for a number of roles.  If you’re being shortlisted for interview, you’re writing strong applications.  If you’re being pipped to the post at offer stage, push for feedback and polish the delivery of your motivation to apply, and focus on positive examples that show case your achievements and ‘can do’ resilient attitude.

 

‘My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. All you have to do is get back up and try again’. – Richard Branson

 

  1. Avoid Taking it Personally

This is, perhaps, one of the most important pieces of advice one can give to someone who is facing redundancy or has already been made redundant. It is quite easy to take redundancy personally. However, it should never be a matter of personal issues nor is it a result of your own actions. It happens for many reasons and you should not take it as a personal attack on you or as a rejection of your contribution to an organisation.

 

Remember: it is the role that is redundant and not you. Your employer would have likely had several internal discussions with the board or similar before coming to the decision to make you redundant.

 

  1. Your Skills and Experiences are Still Valuable

Whilst undoubtedly being redundant is difficult and unsettling, do hold on to the positives. Take this as an opportunity to reflect on your career so far and what you have achieved. Perhaps you had an article published by a leading scientific journal or successfully lobbied Parliament to bring about a change in legislation; these are incredible achievements and can lay the foundations for your next role.

 

The skills that you have developed in your previous role(s) will be very important going forward as you navigate redundancy and it’s good to hold onto them. Most, if not all, will be valuable in your next role. Facing redundancy triggers a natural response of self-doubt but reflecting on what you have achieved so far will remind you that you have still a lot to contribute to your desired sector.

 

As a few final thoughts,

  • Be confident that your contributions to a particular organisation have been valuable
  • Take time for yourself and allow your mind to relax and reset after facing a mix of emotions.
  • As one door closes, another door will open.

 

As you think about your next role and your priorities, you may benefit from additional support. Longmire Recruitment offers a very supportive service, guiding candidates through each step of the recruitment process. To find out more about how we can help you secure your next role, contact us at info@longmirerecruitment.co.uk.

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