At the time when I was for the first time impacted by layoffs we lived in one of the most expensive cities in Poland, had a big mortgage, car loan and just started to think about having a baby.

It seemed like a disaster.

I want to tell you what I’ve learned from this and following events.

1. Give yourself time to grieve. Don’t make rush decisions. Find a safe space to be and feel, go through all your emotions before doing anything else.

2. Seek professional emotional help. You don’t need to work everything out yourself. It may take much longer, and be more difficult when trying on your own. And losing your job and facing financial insecurity belong to one of the most traumatic experiences impacting our mental health.

3. Find an objective brainstorming partner. Someone who you can trust, who will help you get back on your feet and create a game plan. Panic and despair are never good advisers. And what you will need eventually is to get out of your brain fog, and start (re)building your new path.

4. Look around, connect, consider new approaches and scenarios. The event threw you off the track, but it could be a good opportunity to find a new, also interesting, and even better one. For me, it meant a big thing, moving to a different country, a step I never regretted.

5. You can make things better. Even if at the moment it doesn’t seem so. 

Remember, you are not alone. You don’t have to be.