Job Loss – How to Lose the Fear of being Fired

Job Loss

Job Loss can be an awful experience. The fear of getting fired from work may not be among the top 10 fears of the world. But it is still very common in workplaces. Especially in today’s world where no jobs are secure, the risk of job loss looms large. There is no one in particular to blame for such a situation.

History is testimony to the fact that the world always witnesses such situations, at some point of time or the other, when employment doesn’t remain secure. Although you cannot always determine whether you get fired or not, you must still take care of your bit.

Job loss or fear of being fired really can teach you what it is like to be on the receiving end of a sucky experience. So, evaluate yourself. Why were you let go? How can you improve your work? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Here are some tips on how to lose fear of job loss:

1. Stay Positive and good things will start happening

Optimism is the solution to many problems. Fear is a result of some negative energy or thoughts in your mind. Think about it this way; if there is something which is bound to happen it will happen anyway whether you fear or not. So whether you fear job loss or don’t fear it, if you have to get fired, you will get fired.

In fact, when you are engulfed with fear, you will remain anxious and you will not be able to think about solutions. On the other hand, if you are positive, you can focus your mind more on the solution than on the problem. By staying positive, you will have a higher chance of avoiding a layoff than by staying negative. Once you’re over the first few rough days, prepare to view the world in a broader and more flexible way.

2. Think as if getting fired is ‘NO big deal’

This takes positivity a notch further. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Know that getting fired is no big deal and you will find another job. Also take the notion out of your life that getting fired is a shameful situation. Who gets to decide what is shameful and what is not? Who are you answerable to? Accept that it is okay if you have been fired. Once you do that, it will help alleviate the fear.

3. Know that most of the time employees get fired for reasons other than their own mistakes

Usually employees get fired because the organizations cannot afford them and not because of their poor performance. There are exceptions though. If an employee has a history of repeated substandard performance or perhaps non-conformance, they may get fired for their own reasons.

They may also get fired for cases such as sexual harassment, abusive and undisciplined behavior, stealing company data and more. But these are just the exceptions. Most employees get fired in the event of downsizing. If the company is downsizing, there is nothing much you can do about it. So don’t blame yourself for getting fired.

4. Improve your skills and make yourself more capable

For this, you will need to have a positive mental attitude first. While negative people are busy sulking, you as a positive person will focus more on your area of control than your area of no control. Improving your skills is within your area of control.

Always keep working on learning new things and acquiring new skills. This will give you two-fold benefits. Firstly, if you are more skilled than others, even when the company will downsize they may want to retain you for your expertise. Secondly, even when you get fired, your market value will be higher due to your enhanced skills and you will have a higher chance of finding a new (and perhaps a better) job.

5. If you have been fired and are jobless, invest some time on yourself

There are many things which happen for good even though they may not be apparent at the face value. If you suffered a job loss, perhaps God wanted to give you some break so that you can pull yourself together. Instead of sulking about job loss, see how you can improvise and make best use of the time that has been gifted to you by your previous organization.

Learn new things, Turn a Job Loss into an Opportunity to find new ways of life and perhaps rediscover yourself!

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About the Author

Vandana Singhal writes extensively on science, technology, health, and travel. Vandana has a degree in science and is artistic in nature.

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