Finding yourself suddenly out of work is never a pleasant experience. You thought you had a steady income, but your boss or the market decided otherwise.
When this happens, your first instinct is often to panic. However, we’d caution against that. If you can keep cool and listen to your instincts, you can often plot a way through that protects both you and your lifestyle.
So, what should you be doing?
Examine Your Finances
The first step is to examine your finances and ask what shape they’re in. Look at your savings, expenses, and overall budget to determine what should happen next.
If you’re in a challenging position, the priority may be to find new money quickly. However, if you’re in a less precarious position, then you may want to spend more time looking for something new with better future prospects.
See how long you can pay your regular bills before you have to start cutting back. Usually, you’ll find you have more time than you expect.
File For Unemployment Or Benefits
You also want to file for unemployment or other benefits. If you can bring in a little money from the government or external sources, it can help to cushion the blow.
Filing for unemployment is simply a practical step you need to take. It’s a way of supporting your finances and helping you find something new while you wait.
Check Your Rights
It also might be worth checking your rights to see whether your circumstances for losing your job were legal. For example, L&I Legal Services points out that you may be able to make a legal claim if you are out of work because of an injury or something similar.
You might also have been kicked out for the wrong reasons. Again, you don’t want a situation where you’re being deprived of an income that should rightfully be yours.
Maintain A Routine
As tempting as it might be to let everything go, it is critical to maintain a routine and keep the days ticking over as normal. If there is a project that you can work on that might make you money in the future, then it is worth pursuing.
If you don’t structure your day, you could wind up feeling helpless and that the world is outside of your control, and that’s not a feeling you want when you’re trying to get back on your feet.
Prioritize Mental Health
You also want to prioritize your mental health if you find yourself out of work. Taking care of yourself should be a priority. Otherwise, you may find it challenging to build up the motivation and energy you require to find another job or do something new to earn money.
Tap Into Your Network
Finally, it’s worth exploring your network to see whether there’s anyone who’d be willing to give you a job and help you out of a hole. This approach requires that you already have a network, which you may not, which could get you into trouble.
