In the current economic climate individuals across the economic spectrum face the risk of displacement or involuntary job loss. During the late 1970's and 1980's the typical dislocated employee tended to be a blue-collar manufacturing worker with no more than a high school education. During the past 10 years, however, the risk of permanent job loss has risen for white-collar and more educated employees and has impacted more industries across the globe.
Most individuals facing a financial disaster including layoffs experience some degree of emotional distress depending on their circumstances and duration of the incident,. Personality traits, cultural influences and community norms further help or hinder the ability to bounce back. Typically the longer a threat persists, the more damaging it is from a social and psychological standpoint. Therefore it is critical for the individual expreriencing the loss of a job to find a way to address the emotional and psychological impact.
Obstacles during this time are ignoring or minimizing the emotional impact, increased use of alcohol, drugs and other risk taking, thrill-seeking behavior which inhibit problem solving. What are the tools proven to help? Dr. Al Siebert, an expert on resiliency has studied and worked with people who have lost their jobs. One of his most interesting findings was that those people who were able to channel their anger and frustration into something more constructive were more successful in finding a job.
In another study among unemployed auto workers, researches decided to use a journaling technique where one test group was asked to write down their feelings of anger about being unemployed a year later. Of the test group who kept an unemployment journal, 80percent had a new job in six months where the majority of those in the group that did not keep a journal were still unemployed a year later. The evidence shows that those who were successful at processing their emotions did better in interviews and related situations, which made it easier for them to find work.
James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas, conducted a similar study and wanted to test his theory that writing can be an effective healing tool for dealing with loss, including job loss. Dr. Pennebaker set up two control groups among unemployed people. One group was asked to write for 20 minutes, five days in a row, expressing their feelings about their job loss; the other group was asked to write about their daily schedules regarding their job search. The study revealed that those who wrote about the emotional experience of job loss found employment more quickly than those who didn't.
Dr. Pennebaker asserts that "writing about emotional upheavals in our lives can improve physical and mental health". Journaling is one method, talking to a trained counselor is another. Find which works best for you. The crucial decision is to act in your own best interest by addressing the emotional impact of a loss of any kind. This increases your resilliency( the ability to bounce back) by turning sour emotions into positive emotions and cloudy thinking into clear, objective strategies. The benefit goes directly back to the person willing to do the emotional work.
Resources: www.resiliencycenter.com