Jobs were so scarce that I found myself over at the unemployment office to sign up for benefits. This was an eye opener for me. I couldn't believe that I was having to doing this, but I knew in the very least it would supplement my severance and give the family a month or two more of financial runway if needed.
I have to tell you, I was trying my best to not let this situation take me down and off-track mentally. The reality was that I wasn't being very mindful of what I was dealing with... I felt, in a way, that I deserved this pain, and my negative self-talk wasn't helping... In fact, I let the anxiety take over. There were nights when I laid awake for hours worrying about whether or not I would EVER get a job again, or if we had to sell the house, move to a small apartment. I mean, my mind was ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Something had to change...
Luckily, I remembered that as part of my separation package from the company, they had provided us with some consultation with a career counseling service for as long as we needed it to help land another job.
I made an appointment right away. And, when I went in to talk with my assigned Career Counselor, he gave me a new perspective. He reminded me that I should be easier on myself that I wasn't alone, and this was not permanent.
While that messaging helped my mindset for a while, I still struggled with not finding much and wondering if I was doing everything I could... It didn't take long for the fear and frustration to show up again...