The COVID19 pandemic has resulted not only in a loss of life and health but financial and economical downfall as well. Loss of work, stagnancy in business and loss of income is a scare only too real and too near for many of us. In a world where a person is evaluated in his/her economic value, a ‘Job’ is considered much more than just a professional identity. An individual’s job defines their way of living with a sense of security, sets their daily routine with a dedicated set of purposeful activities, creates a strong work-based social network and most importantly acts as a booster for self-esteem and self-confidence. A job is a way for an individual to get the sense of being as it gives them the ability to do whatever they wish to and maintain a ‘social standard of living’ in the society as well.
With so many aspects of one’s living and personality associated with his job,
sudden loss of work might lead to reactions of anger, pain, grievance, anxiety and stress which are all too normal, but not being able to deal with those reactions on time, or build an alternative purpose in life, can lead to serious mental health problem affecting emotional health which might lead to depression as well as self-esteem issues.
How to identify whether one is suffering through such a post–stressful event? Some symptoms might include;
- Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, or guilt that further lead to feeling helpless or hopeless.
- Though they wouldn’t speak about these feelings out loud, they might experience fatigue or chronic lack of energy, irritability, difficulty in concentrating for longer time spans
- loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities such as a serious hobby or sexual encounters
- They might experience disturbed sleep patterns leading to either insomnia or hypersomnia with changes in appetite and corresponding weight gain or loss.
- These individuals might also tend to indulge in social isolation which might promote suicidal thoughts or behaviors in return.
In order to avoid the extremes in this situation, it is important for you or your closed one to understand and accept that it is an absolutely overcome-able situation that they are in. Following tips might prove to be helpful in managing their depression and self-esteem issues.
1. Accept and think positively: Grief, anger, depression and falling out of balance is considered to be a natural response to loss. Losing your job is a drastic event of your life, but it is also important for you to take the required amount of time to adjust with the sudden changes in your life. Accept these changes and while doing so try and look at this event as a temporary impediment and believe that things will soon be better. Take up this loss as a chance to reflect on what you want to do ahead and if needed, be open to rethinking about your career priorities and try to find your strong points and what you think would add value to your life.
2. Express yourself well: It is okay for you to feel that people might show pity or sympathy towards your loss. But expressing your pain is important. You can do it by writing about it as writing will help you look back at the situation and react practically towards it. If you think you have someone who would just listen to you without providing solutions or judging you, make sure you open up to them about your pain or troublesome thoughts. Opening up will help you feel more in control of the situation.
3. New people and new opportunities: Expanding your social circle is the best thing to do after your unavoidable crisis. Try and make new contacts and network, even virtually. Networking will help you learn about different opportunities and skills and open up the world of job search for you. You can volunteer for different projects during this phase as it might help you grow your social circle which might also lead to opportunities for different careers.
4. Work on the stress relief: Prolonged stress might lead to depression. In order to avoid that focus on working on yourself, physically as well as mentally. Exercise or keep yourself active by doing an activity you like be it playing sports or dancing. Thinking about your body rather than your thoughts is a way to lower stress. For instance; a few yoga asanas at home will help you feel rejuvenated as it relaxes your muscles and increases the energy supply to your body. Try to follow a regular eating plan or a healthy food intake schedule that will help your body and mood lighten up. Try to maintain a balance between active and rest times. Getting plenty of sleep might also be helpful in keeping the stress levels under control.
5. Keep up the positive energy: With a sudden pause in the daily routine, make a new routine that will help you regularize the self-care and networking sessions. While doing so make sure you create a plan for your job search and avoid hyper reacting or throwing the ball far. Instead, make shorter plans and set your priorities straight as it will, help you with your outline. Focus on the things that are within your controlling limits. Be it preparing for the interview or working on your portfolio or a strong cover letter – these things are in your control and make sure you put in positive efforts as these will help you get a better job soon.
6. Get a professional help: If you feel blinded by the severe hit it is always beneficial to get in touch with a professional. They are trained in handling such situations and would be able to help you out of the depressive situation with different and simple techniques.