Dealing with job loss during COVID-19
/[The following is a personal post from one of our YWiB executives. We encourage anyone struggling with job loss, financials, stress, mental health, or other concerns to seek support, if needed.]
In the middle of March, I was on vacation in Kauai. I couldn't have ever imagined that by the next month, I'd be sitting at home trying my best to limit my time outside, jobless. My trip ended with a call to my boss speaking about EI, self-isolation and the possibility of the Canadian-US border being closed. It's a stressful conversation to have, especially when no one has an answer, nor is the path clear during this health crisis. Our community, businesses and employers are attempting to do the best that they can to take care of each other.
I arrived home and was able to spend the 14-days of self-isolation working from home. At the time, I was working in private non-essential health care, meaning that an eventual closure was looming. The inevitable did happen, and here I am, with an upheaval to my income, schedule and daily routine. This may seem depressing, but truth be told, I found solace in the fact that I'm not alone in my experience. Millions of Canadians are in the same boat, but let’s still be honest, it sucks.
Even in the worst situations, we can look for the silver lining, which is what I did with three steps to keep moving forward with my life:
Let yourself grieve!
Job loss is never easy. The fact was my routine had been completely uprooted, and the accomplishments I tied to work had suddenly vanished. For me, there was an immediate and slightly crushing sense of failure. The fact that I needed to recognize was that this job loss had nothing to do with my performance, nor was it preventable. Closures needed to happen to help flatten the curve. I started to look at my loss of work as a sacrifice to help our community stay healthy. I spent some time venting and grieving. Each person deals with grief differently, and I would suggest reaching out to a significant other, friends, family, or a professional for support. Taking care of your mental health should be a top priority, and you should ensure you are taking care of it first and foremost.
Assess your financial situation and what is available to you from the government.
Assessing your finances is a critical step in ensuring that you reduce your current and future stress! You should understand what your household needs to bring in per month, what you have in your emergency fund, and where you can make adjustments so that you aren't digging yourself into a mound of debt. In this case, if you are anticipating that you may lose your job, I would recommend understanding the resources yourself and ensuring you aren't reliant on employer support or helping you to find the information.
Create a schedule for yourself or a general outline day to day of what you need to accomplish.
For me, this meant finding activities that keep me physically, mentally and spiritually active. I determined my priorities and what brought joy to my daily life. Enjoying my time outside on my balcony, continuing to feel helpful by volunteering and treating myself as a priority by exercising, learning and reading. Make sure you create your daily routine with YOU in mind. When are you most productive if you need to work on your resume or look for a job? How do you break up that activity that may seem daunting with something else that you love? Your day can still be fluid and changing, even if you feel limited by needing to stay inside.
Be kind to yourself and others during this challenging time. Most of our lives have been uprooted or have significantly changed. It's hard to manage even if you haven't lost your job; maybe you know someone who is sick, or perhaps you are being impacted by the pandemic differently. Each situation and experience is individualized, but it doesn't mean that each of us isn't having a challenging time. Remember, you aren't alone, and we are all in this together.
———
Our team is working hard to find digital events that can provide our community with the same level of engagement, growth and connection. If you have any ideas or would like to offer yourself as a presenter, please reach out to any of our team members. The value we place on our community now and the people around us will not only help us push through this tough time but will define our strength on the other side of the pandemic.