You've been laid off. What are the best ways to take a break and recharge?

While almost certainly initially stressful as you try to rationalise the why it happened, I encourage people to see this as a gift. This break in routine gives you time to assess what is important for you. Often without this happening people can continue for years doing something they may not really value, just because it is a habit that you yourself would not voluntarily break. Believe in yourself and the strengths you have and take the right time for you.

What not to do: panic and immediately start scouring LinkedIn and every online job board in a frenzied burst of activity. If you are older, like me, your best bet is to rely on your network. But first, if you were laid off and given a severance package or have some other financial cushion to tide you over, just take some time off - I recommend 8-12 weeks - and perhaps take your first real vacation in years. Then, come back and begin looking. If you are tired of the corporate hustle and no longer have stars in your eyes about how glamorous it is, consider getting into contracting. It has been far better for me than being on the corporate payroll - both in terms of compensation and in terms of stress reduction.

I would say that the first action to take after being laid off, is acceptance of the fact, the job is not in there anymore. And the following action is to reflect on the strengths which helped the firm to gain growth in the past duration. Once the above to our clear, the mind is in a much settled situation and has the right attitude to look forward on possibilities.

You are laid off! It's tough, no doubt about it. Take a breath, and let's figure out how to bounce back. First, give yourself some time to process the whole thing. It's okay to feel down, but don't stay there too long. Then, dive into something that makes you happy – picking up your old guitar, hiking trails, or chilling out at home. And seriously, don't forget to rest up. Sleep in, eat well, and care for yourself like it's your job. It's all about hitting that reset button. Now, let's get practical. Look at your finances – what's in the bank? Any unemployment help you can snag? Make a game plan to stretch your funds wisely. It's your chance to return stronger, so make the most of it!

Have at least a week of rest for yourself, disconnect from chat, emails, job search calls, nothing much will happen in a week. Enjoy a week for yourself at least, go for a walk, jog, go to the museum, stay with your loveones, enjoy that moment and a week later return to the active job search

While you learn something new, make sure that your learning approach should follow a T strategy. You might need a breadth of knowledge in certain areas to pass a certain benchmark that could lead you to a good job offer while having in-depth knowledge of some certain skillset. Work on both the horizontal (breadth) and vertical (depth) of the T when you are upskilling yourself for a new role.

If you're anything like me, learning & development take a back seat while working full time. With some down time, it can be a great opportunity to finally learn pivot tables or take a LinkedIn learning course to broaden your skills.

Once you grasp your weaknesses and identify the opportunities, delve deeply into them. Channel your layoff experience into focusing and putting effort into learning new skills in areas where you're lacking and aligning with the direction the industry is heading.

Use this time to expand your skill set and knowledge base. Online platforms offer a plethora of courses ranging from coding and digital marketing to creative writing and photography. Learning something new can reinvigorate your passion for work, enhance your resume, and potentially pivot your career path in a direction you’ve always wanted to explore.

After a cancellation, it is important to take time to regenerate. Try to find activities that you enjoy and that distract you, such as sports, reading, painting or listening to music. Also use this time to talk to friends and family and seek support. Don't forget to give yourself time to relax and take care of your physical and emotional health. I, for example, did Linkedin courses and also briefly improved my Spanish on the side.

Passion projects are important to pursue for many reasons and often can turn into your next thing. It is easy to get caught up in a long term role which can create tunnel vision while potentially cramping creativity and personal fulfillment. Having a moment in time to create a personal whiteboard is a gift. What makes you tick? Open Freeform, write ideas, clip inspiration photos, learn a new craft, explore new spaces, travel, create ideas and give them all some love. Then look at the potential opportunities of each, be realistic, test the concepts, maybe one is your next gig. Doing something for yourself is incredibly rewarding, you've already helped everyone else!

Taking on a passion project you put off due to work commitments will probably be the best investment you can make to your emotional, psychological and mental well-being during this time. Your passion project may unlock new opportunities for you in ways you could possibly not imagine. I would also recommend sharing the outcomes of your passion project with a broader audience to take the gratification to a new level. Why not start a new YouTube channel while you are at it to show the world what you are up to, for example? There must be others with a similar passion to yours and you could expand your network easily through such sharing. You will be surprised how much you'll learn while doing all this while adding new skills to your portfolio!

Now is the perfect opportunity to focus on something you’re truly passionate about but never had the time for due to work commitments. Whether it’s painting, starting an online business, or developing an app, engaging in a project you care about can provide a fulfilling and productive escape that enriches your life and could even turn into a profitable venture.

Pursuing a passion project would not only allow you to stay productive while learning something new, it will also give you that sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that you might be longing for on a career break. This can act as a major morale booster to keep doing the right thing.

Quizás haya algo en lo que siempre hayas querido trabajar pero nunca tuviste tiempo debido a las demandas de tu trabajo anterior. Puede ser un proyecto personal, familiar, etc o una idea de negocio o incluso un hobby que te apasione. Dedicar tiempo a algo que realmente disfrutas puede ser increíblemente gratificante y potencialmente abrir nuevas puertas en el futuro.

If you were fired you will likely discover that your previous colleagues are of little help in finding new work. You will need to build an entirely new network so don't sleep on that. Start posting on LinkedIn and going to meetups

A lot of advice I see on this is pathological hustle culture stuff, but my take is the opposite: As human beings, we have a dangerous tendency to align our behavior with the technological philosophy of our era. We speak in terms of optimization, networking and habit stacks, which is the language of coding, computers, and servers. But we are organic matter. Our brains are far more influenced by our bodies than we pretend. The goal should be to put the body into the right place. This is philosophically and practically true. If you are not in excellent shape, getting that way will improve your cognition and also your job prospects. So to me that is first. I’ve hit a character limit, but that’s the start….

Leaving an employer for whatever reason means lots of people will stop being actively interested in interacting with you, just because you stopped playing a role in their work environment. I found interesting that people who I thought would be helpful in a tough situation turned out to be really indifferent. This can be soul crushing and its hard not to be discouraged. But the truth is - help can come form a completely unexpected source, and often from a previously unknown person. So my advice is to suck it up and keep reaching out. Somebody will know someone, who might be helpful.

Sempre bom manter o networking ativo, mas tenha clareza do seu objetivo antes de contatar um profissional. Quais são suas ambições por trás deste contato? Porquê aquela pessoa é importante e como isso se conecta com seu objetivo de carreira? Quanto mais claro seu motivador mais efetivo é o relacionamento. Aqui vai uma dica para quem tem vergonha, pode ser clichê, mas o "não" a gente já tem. Quem sabe uma mensagem despretensiosa pode gerar uma mentoria gratuita ou uma indicação? Fica aqui a reflexão!

An amazing way to do this is to travel. Take yourself out of the environment in which you have been in with your previous job and meet people from different walks of life in new places. Immersing yourself into a new environment can often help spark new ideas and broaden the mind as well as form new friendships which could last a lifetime. It will make for a completely refreshing experience and help you on your way to recharge and refocus your efforts in planning for the next stage.

Sadly, barely no one prepares you for your "transition". It is not a subject at business schools, universities, or courses... and nevertheless a perfectly normal and logical step throughout professional life. I was fortunate to find outstanding and generous mentors who helped me face this period with hope, confidence, perspective and a smile. And that indeed made a difference. It is a unique moment in your career to help you reconnect with your purpose, and what moves you in life. To take perspective and to give yourself a well-needed treat. Once you take it as a normal and logical chapter in anyone´s professional career, you should start taking advantage and enjoy the moment while diligently but calmly searching for new challenges.

After my layoff, I found mental and emotional health to be the most challenging aspects of the transition. Through networking, I found out about the concept of mindset, which was a game-changer for me. As humans, we are storytellers seeking to create meaning from the events that occur in our lives. To improve my mindset, I deliberately and regularly focused on keeping the stories I told myself positive and affirming. This cleared my mind to step back, assess the pros and cons of my situation objectively, and make the right career decision for myself.

Your health should be a top priority. Regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and sufficient sleep are fundamental. Additionally, practices like yoga, meditation, or journaling can significantly improve mental health. This holistic approach to self-care will ensure you’re in the best physical and mental state to pursue new opportunities.

Prendre soin de soi n'est pas pour moi, une liste de bien manger, pas fumer, faire du yoga... Prendre soin de soi, c'est selon moi s'accorder du temps pour soi en pensant à soi et en n'ayant que soi en tête. Mère de 3 enfants, prendre soin de moi ce n'est pas méditer, ni bien m'hydrater. Prendre soin de moi c'est d'abord me poser comme questions : Qu'est-ce qui me ferait plaisir ? Qu'est-ce que j'aimerai faire que je ne fais pas d'habitude ?

The key priority is to concentrate on your personal growth, invest in yourself, and build your skills. Never doubt your capabilities; instead, demonstrate your potential by proving skeptics wrong.

This advice is for folks who have been working for a while. If you are young, I might do this differently. Spend the time finding out your why and what motivates you. I recently got let go and I am so grateful that I just did not jump into a role that was similar to something I had done earlier. What I have noticed that finding out your passion in some ways is easy but then combining it with something that you can monetize is much harder. This will require some trial and error, a lot of patience and a very good support system to talk you off the ledge.

One of the aspects that I suggest is to have a few days completely off and just spending time in nature and do full rejuvenating then start to look at the areas that you can uniquely add value. I highly recommend to get some training on sustainability and implementation of sustainability in your area as this is very hot topic and very timely. Be kind to our planet! ✅✅✅

This is the time when you have the opportunity to focus on learning and what I mean by learning is not just taking the formal courses in business schools or universities but to learn what your heart desires! I keep in mind this quote from Frederick Buechner (1926-2022): “The place God calls you to is the place when your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” To do this you need to muster the energy, honesty, and the passion for the search! Search for it and I can guarantee you the best route you have ever journeyed to.

Do what you love... Take time to figure out if you were doing something that you loved or just did it for the paycheck. Figure out what you love to do, who you want to work with, and what outcomes fill you with satisfaction and then work backwards to figure out what that next job should be. In the end, if you are passionate about it, the money will come because that passion will drive you to become great.

Work hard to create income asap, so that you don’t deplete your existing assets. It may take longer than you think to find a comparable role- if that’s Uber, waiting tables- make money- to offset the loss in the meantime! It also SHOWS in action how you hustle.