5 tips on how to regain self-confidence after a layoff
In this article, I explain how to regain self-confidence after a layoff.
Before moving on to the tips, I remind you that you can benefit from the expertise of a self-confidence coach to regain control of your professional and personal life more effectively and quickly.
Discover my tips now.
1 – Pay attention to the meaning you give to your dismissal
The meaning you give to your layoff influences your thoughts and actions.
As shown by McKee & al. (2009) people who evaluate their layoff negatively are more likely to seek lower-skilled jobs than others.
You can’t change reality, but you can make your situation positive to maximize your chances of finding a job with the same skill level.
If you don’t, you may end up in a less qualified and less satisfying job.
As a result, you will sooner or later feel unhappy and decide to look for another job that matches your potential, desires, and ambitions.
To avoid wasting time and energy, do your best to give a positive meaning to your dismissal.
2 – Reinforce your self-esteem
If you give a negative meaning to the dismissal and blame yourself for this event, you will have lower self-esteem.
As a result, you will tend not to take actions that make you feel uncomfortable and you will therefore limit your potential and your actions.
It is therefore essential to do everything you can to build self-esteem.
You can focus on your professional accomplishments and include them in your resume to make it much more impactful.
Building self-esteem also increases your self-confidence because you feel more prepared to deal with possible temporary failures and therefore you are more easily willing to :
- take action
- focus on your learning
- reach your goal
3 – Take back control of your internal dialogue
If you feel more pessimistic after your layoff, you probably need to take control of your internal dialogue.
The way you communicate with yourself can be negative and prevent you from regaining your self-confidence after a layoff.
For this reason, I recommend that you write down what you say to yourself so that you can begin to become aware of both your positive and negative self-talk.
You can reinforce this positive dialogue and challenge each negative phrase and then turn it into a positive dialogue or a positive affirmation.
Doing this will allow you to protect and strengthen your self-confidence and self-esteem.
To go further on the topic of internal dialogue, I recommend you read the article overcoming negative internal dialogue and enjoy the benefits of positive internal dialogue.
4 – Manage your time and your physical and mental energy efficiently
The common mistake people make when they lose a job is to spend most of their time looking for a job.
The problem with this approach is that you risk burning out and losing motivation, especially if you don’t get interviews right away or if you don’t find a job quickly.
It is therefore important to learn how to manage your time well by using tools such as the to-do list but most importantly by allocating part of your time to activities that allow you to keep a balanced life as much as possible.
Plan 2 or 3 hours a day for your job search, networking, developing new skills, etc.
Use the rest of your day for activities that contribute to your personal growth and those that are important to you and your family.
If you want to go further on the topic of time management, I invite you to read the article the 7 obstacles of time management.
5 – Define your new career goal
Now you have the opportunity to make new career choices to create a much more fulfilling professional future.
This is the time to give a new impulse to your career without limiting yourself.
In this brainstorming phase, you will write a list of all the jobs that could fulfill you professionally.
If, for example, you have always wanted to be your own boss, don’t immediately rule out this option.
After this professional dream phase, you will start to compare your professional wishes with your current skills.
The goal is to define 2 or even 3 motivating options that are within your reach.
Then take action, focus on your learning and continue to progress.
If you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, I suggest you read the following two articles: how to succeed as an entrepreneur and how to attract prospects and new clients.
6 – Focus on support from caring people
Maddy & al. (2015) show that family and social support have a positive effect on self-esteem.
As long as self-esteem has a positive effect on self-confidence, taking advantage of the support of caring people during your job search will build confidence in your ability to find a new job.
You will feel more motivated to succeed in your work search and you will be more effective during your job interviews.
As you can see, the support of those around you will help you find a new job with calmness and confidence.
Conclusion on how to regain self-confidence after a redundancy
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This article is also available in other languages
Français : Comment reprendre confiance en soi après un licenciement
Italiano: Come ritrovare la fiducia in se stessi dopo un licenziamento