Layoffs have been happening since the first round of Covid-19 in 2020, which caused enormous anxiety, stress, and fear among employees. The massive workforce reductions this year are shocking and devastating. The reason for these massive layoffs can be a volatile global world, economics and political wars, lack of funds, restructuring, and modernization of businesses. Every organization is trying to reduce costs to keep their businesses afloat and sustain in an overall slowing economy. The layoffs, unemployment, and job loss resulting from these shifts have a negative impact on the well-being and mental health of employees across the globe!

Based on the experiences of previous economic crises, job insecurity, and uncertainty that workers face following the pandemic are believed to cause poor mental health. As the constant fear of being laid off is still a stifling experience for employees, numerous studies over the last decades have highlighted the adverse physiological and psychological consequences of job loss and unemployment. 

Job Loss and Mental Health 

In addition to the negative financial consequences, job loss and unemployment are detrimental to a person's mental health and physical health. Three independent systematic reviews found that those who were unemployed in a recession or had financial difficulties had a higher chance to experience less healthy mental well-being and faced more stress and depression.

Stress and anxiety triggered by sudden or long-term unemployment can be harmful and insufferable. Stress can trigger hormonal fluctuations that could spiral into cardiovascular issues and persistent physical pain and inflammation. If a person has a lot of household responsibilities and loans, being laid off could cause a variety of psychological and physical responses such as Anxiety, irritability, panic attacks, fatigue, headaches, frustration, and anger over small things. Feeling of sadness, inadequacy and shame, loss of self-esteem, loss of appetite and weight loss, sleeplessness, muscle discomfort, nausea, and dizziness can also arise due to sudden job loss.

Fear among Other Employees

It shouldn't be surprising that people losing their job suffer an increase in physical and mental well-being, however, it is unheard of that employee who is able to keep their jobs after an unplanned layoff or any other type of worker reduction, also face a high level of stress.

The "surviving employee" are typically forced to carry their own burdens along with that of their laid-off co-workers facing additional stress and anxiety regarding their job security. There is also an increase in the symptoms of depression, chronic pain, poor nutrition, an increase in self-care practices, and a rise in taking sick days/leaves.

The indirect harm to those who have been laid off can trigger a chain reaction of discouragement and anxiety in an organization when news circulates about layoffs. If there's no crystal clear understanding of the positive actions the company has taken previously, employees start to be concerned about the future.

How to take care of your mental health amid Layoffs?

Here are some tips to help you cope with the stress of being laid off from work. 

• Stay in contact with family and friends. It is crucial to stay in contact with your family and friends. You should also let them know about events that are happening in your lives. Get help and support from them as they are genuinely concerned about your emotions. The family institution is great support, TalktoAngel has the best Clinical Psychologist, who provides family therapy and also the Employees Assistance Program.
• Take care: It's crucial to take care of your body during difficult times when your mind is experiencing emotional turmoil. Do some exercise and work out every day because such practices lessen anxiety and stress. Be mindful of what you eat and ensure that you maintain quality sleep. It's completely normal to be grieving, however, the longer you delay starting to formulate plans to make a plan for the future, the longer it will take to return to the workforce.
• Take time to nurture yourself: Find activities and interests that you weren't able to pursue while working. This is a chance to be kind to yourself and use techniques to help reduce the stress that allows you to relax. Participate in a cooking class or learn salsa, or play guitar to feel more at ease.
• Keep your mind positive: Best Mental health professionals or Online Counsellor insist on having a positive mindset during situations of emotional turmoil. This can help you tremendously. Don't be self-critical and try to work on controlling your emotions with the help of your therapist.
• Write: Record your emotions as well as your thoughts and feelings. Writing is a beneficial method to let out your negative emotions and to clarify any issues you may be struggling with. Writing in any form, or even making lists can help keep your mind clear.
• Relaxation Strategies: Try to understand how to calm your mind and body. To reduce your stress and anxiety you can explore relaxation techniques such as Deep breathing; Mindfulness; Meditation; Progressive muscle relaxation and grounding techniques.
• Find professional assistance: If your life is spiraling out of your hand and anxiety and stress do not diminish, it's recommended to seek advice from the Best Psychologist in India or an Online Counselor.

Preventing or Confronting your layoff

Being proactive about addressing your layoff is the best way to avoid anxiety and take control of your emotions. Here are some strategies to manage your thoughts when faced with layoffs:

• Do something constructive: Reach out to a handful of individuals in the companies you think your talents would be valuable in, arrange an informal meeting with them, and mention that you're seeking advice. You could also consider what's known as the "shared economic system" as well as the "gig workplace" where companies are looking for employees with particular talents.
• Develop your resilience: Resilience begins by adjusting quickly to the current situation. Doing nothing but "If you could only,..." is the case" can keep you stuck in the past and can be disorienting. Deciding to let this happen at this point in your life can help you to cope with things in a better way. Think about the opportunity that is lying in front of you due to your job loss.
• Build self-esteem: Make a list of all the things you love and value about yourself. Write down all the things that you've accomplished in the last year that you are proud of. An effective way to boost confidence and self-esteem is to get thank-you letters from employees and managers from the previous organization and how they loved having you as a colleague. These could be short paragraphs detailing particular or general contributions you have made.

Seek out Help

Be gentle with yourself. A positive attitude and patience are essential for those who have lost their job. Help from the best Online Counsellor or mental health professional will give you a better feeling of regaining control over your life, and help you to deal with tensions better. With the help of your therapist, it is possible to tackle your mood swings right after it begins and ultimately improve your mental health when you are going through this stressful moment. If you're feeling like you've lost hope or are depressed, seek out help from a Top Psychologist in India or an online counselor at TalktoAngel.