9 Ways To Stay Motivated When You’ve Lost Your Job

Losing your job can be an upsetting and challenging time. Even if it’s expected, job loss can chip away at your confidence and make you doubt your value as a worker. So how do you pick yourself up and brush your mindset down as you begin a new job search?

Here are nine ways to stay motivated when you’ve lost your job.

Acknowledge How You Feel

Before you begin your job search, it’s important to recognise and process how you’re feeling. After a job loss you might feel demoralised, ashamed, angry, resentful, or sad. You might even feel numb because you’re in shock after an unexpected job loss. Examining your feelings now can help to:

• avoid a build-up of suppressed emotions that lead to stress
• understand the effect those emotions are having on your mindset
• make better decisions
• improve your mental health

If you lose your job, it’s normal to feel a range of emotions. Acknowledging these feelings is the first step to dealing with them. Allow yourself to feel without judgement, whether that’s anxiety, frustration, or relief.

The next step is to process those emotions. You might find that writing down your thoughts and feelings helps. Or sharing your feelings with a trusted friend, relative, or therapist might be the answer. However you deal with those feelings, remember to be kind to yourself.

Set Achievable Goals

Setting small, realistic goals will help you to stay motivated during your job search. Breaking the task of finding a new job into manageable steps will make the process seem less overwhelming.

Setting achievable goals will help you to:

• maintain your motivation
• boost your confidence as you achieve each small step
• provide a clear structure for your job search
• stay focussed
• reduce stress by breaking larger tasks into smaller ones

Use the SMART method to create achievable goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. Read How SMART goals can improve your job search to find out more.

Instead of setting one big goal, break it down into smaller tasks. So instead of ‘find a new job’, your goal might be to update your CV or apply for a set number of jobs per week.

Don’t forget to write down/type up your goals into a plan. Your plan will keep you focussed on your job search and make it easy to track your progress. Think of the pleasure you’ll find in ticking things off your job search plan.

Stay Connected

Feeling isolated after a job loss can increase your stress and anxiety, so staying in touch with friends, family, and ex-colleagues is always worthwhile. Here’s why staying connected is a good idea:

• Friends, family, and other connections can offer emotional support, encouragement, and advice.
• Staying connected may help you discover job openings that haven’t been advertised.
• Being part of a community can reduce feelings of isolation and help you stay positive and motivated.

The most obvious connections are your friends and family. While they might not be of help with your job search, being around people who have your back can help you stay optimistic, communicative, and open to opportunities.

Use social media platforms like LinkedIn to stay connected with past colleagues and industry professionals. Comment on posts, join relevant groups, and share your job search journey. Interacting with others in your field can provide insights, advice, and inspiration.

If you’re feeling brave, why not go along to relevant networking events. These events, whether in person or online, are a great way to meet potential employers and build your professional network.

Upskill and Learn

Use the time after a job loss to learn new skills or improve the ones you have. There are plenty of courses available to you, whether paid or free. Still not sure? Here’s how upskilling and learning can help after you’ve lost your job:

• It shows employers that you’re committed to your personal and professional growth, making you a more attractive job candidate.
• Learning new skills helps you to stay current and competitive in your field.
• Gaining new skills and knowledge can boost your confidence, be fulfilling, and help you grow personally and professionally.
• Learning new skills can open more job opportunities to you and lead to higher-paying roles.
• Taking part in courses can help you meet new people and expand your professional network.

Identify skills that are in demand in your industry. Research job adverts and descriptions to see what employers are looking for. Which of those skills are you missing? Do your current skills need to be updated to make you a good match?

Not sure where to find relevant courses? Here are three places to start:

• The Skills Toolkit provides free courses on a range of subjects like computer skills, maths, business and finance, and marketing.
• Websites like Coursera, edX, and FutureLearn offer free and paid courses from top universities and institutions.
• Consider working towards a certification in your field through learning platforms like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning.

Keep to a Routine

Keeping to a daily routine can really help when you lose your job. It provides structure, a sense of normalcy, and helps you stay productive and balanced. Having a routine will:

• give your day a clear framework, helping you stay organised and focussed
• reduce stress and anxiety because you know what to expect from each day
• make sure you use your time well, preventing procrastination and keeping you on track

Your routine isn’t just about finding a new job. It should include time for exercise, relaxation and self-care, hobbies, and friends and family too. Set yourself a schedule, identify the most important tasks for each day and tackle them first. Be flexible, just in case you need to adjust your schedule. Factor in breaks to avoid burnout. Don’t forget to regularly review your routine and make changes if it isn’t working for you. Remember, this is your routine. You’re in charge.

Take Care of Your Health

It’s important that you take care of both your physical and mental health during your job search. Make time for your well-being so you can stay resilient, focussed, and positive.

Eat a balanced diet to support your energy levels and general health. Make sure you drink enough water to keep your mind working at its best. Avoid the don’t know what to eat/can’t be bothered to cook blues by planning your meals ahead of time. You could even cook in bulk and tub up the extra to freeze.

Make sure to regularly get some exercise. It’s good for your body, releases endorphins, can improve your moods, and reduces stress. It’s also a great way to reframe your mindset. It doesn’t have to be a gym session. It could be as simple as walking the dog or gardening. If you love to swim, get yourself down to the local pool. Find activities you enjoy and can easily fit into your routine.

Sleep is vital for mental and physical health, so make sure you get enough sleep each night. Create a relaxing bedtime routine to tell your body that it’s time to wind down for the night. It’s generally thought that seven to eight hours is what everyone needs but if you have the odd restless night, don’t beat yourself up about it.

Mindfulness, meditation, and stress relief techniques can support your wellbeing, but don’t feel that you have to do what everyone else does. Find your own way to stay mentally healthy. That might be meditation, gardening, walking in the local park, journalling, exercise, or catching up with your friends. Do what works for you.

Stay Positive

Staying upbeat and positive during a job search can be a challenge, especially when you’ve lost your job. But an optimistic outlook is important for your well-being and success. Here’s why:

• A positive mindset helps you bounce back from setbacks and stay motivated.
• It can improve how well you perform in job interviews by boosting your confidence and energy.
• Having a positive mindset means that you’re more open to new opportunities and creative. Both openness and creativity can improve your job search approach.

Staying positive doesn’t mean pushing ahead with the denial blinkers on. Instead, acknowledge the challenges you face and how you’re feeling, but don’t let those factors hold you back. Something upsetting has happened to you, but you’re easily capable of moving into a better situation.

The best way to stay positive is to focus on your value as a job candidate and as a person, and what you can control. That might be your current skills and achievements, past situations where you’ve performed well, and how you present yourself to employers. If it helps, write it all down. You can read over all the good stuff when you feel your mood dipping.

Ask for Professional Help

You don’t have to face your job loss alone. If you’re finding it difficult to cope with the stress and uncertainty, be open to seeking professional help. Career coaches and mental health professionals offer specialised guidance suited to your individual needs.

A career coach can provide personalised advice on your job search strategy, and help you identify your strengths, set realistic goals, and develop a career plan. They can assist with writing a CV and cover letters, prepare you for job interviews, and help you improve your networking skills.

A mental health professional, such as a therapist or counsellor, can provide a safe space to talk over your feelings and work through the emotional impact of losing your job. They can show you how to manage your stress, maintain a positive outlook, and build your resilience.

Do your research before choosing a career coach or mental health professional. Look for individuals or businesses that have good reviews and relevant experience. Why not ask your friends, family, or wider network for recommendations?

Explore New Opportunities

Losing your job is often a worrying and challenging experience. But it can also be a chance to reassess your career and explore new opportunities. Do you want to continue on the same path, or do you want to make a change? Here’s why you should approach job loss with an open mind:

• Stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring new paths can lead to personal growth. You’ll develop new skills, build your confidence, and find out more about yourself.
• Choosing a new career that aligns with your passions and values can lead to greater job satisfaction.
• Investigating new opportunities can help you build a wider and stronger professional network.

Take time to reflect on your interests, values, and skills. Consider what parts of your past jobs you enjoyed and what you’d like to change. Next, think about interests or subjects that excite you. That might be a hobby, a cause you support, or an industry you’ve always been curious about.

With that knowledge in mind, investigate different roles and industries that interest you. What are the required skills, experience, and qualifications? What is the related career path and potential for growth?

If you decide to change career, the first step is to identify whether you’re missing any needed skills, experience, or qualifications. How can you achieve these? Set a clear plan for making the change, including manageable goals and achievable deadlines.

If a career change isn’t for you, investigating new opportunities isn’t a waste of time. It simply helps you to understand the skills and experience you can bring to a new employer and what you want from your career.

Wrapping it up

Losing your job can be an upsetting experience, but it’s also an opportunity to reassess what you want from your career. If you can:

• acknowledge your emotions,
• set achievable goals,
• stay connected,
• upskill and learn,
• maintain a routine,
• take care of your health,
• stay positive,
• seek professional help,
• and explore new opportunities,

you’ll easily handle this challenging situation. Stay proactive and open-minded, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Focus on your strengths and achievements and use this time to grow both personally and professionally. Your next career opportunity is just around the corner.