COPING WITH WORK CHANGES
AND JOB LOSSES
  

We live with change every day of our lives. When the changes are manageable, our needs for creativity, sense of adventure and charting new horizons are satisfied. However, should the changes be unplanned as in retrenchment and or restructuring of jobs within the organisation of our employment, people generally experience a higher level of stress and uncertainty. Common emotional responses include:

  • Anxiety or nervousness

  • A sense of shock or numbness

  • Sadness

  • Fearfulness

  • Embarrassment

  • Anger towards one's boss, family or self

  • Financial or other worries

  • Concerns that family won't cope

  • Worry about future employment

  • Depression
These emotional responses may cause physical symptoms, such as:

  • Loss of appetite

  • Headaches

  • Feeling tired or fatigued

  • Disruption in sleep patterns

  • Muscle aches and pains

  • Shallow, rapid breathing
Together, these emotional and physical responses can create behavioural changes like:

  • Losing one's temper over minor incidents

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Difficulty in making decisions

  • Interpersonal conflicts

  • Decreased energy or ambition

  • Agitation or irritability

  • Withdrawal from others

  • Moodiness

  • Strained family or social relationships

These reactions are entirely NORMAL. Often we can help ourselves get through this difficult times, if we:

  • Take care of ourselves physically. Exercising regularly, eat right, and getting some extra rest will help our bodies and minds manage the stress of the situation. Doing something relaxing and enjoyable will in turn help us in our thinking and decision-making.

  • See this current situation as an opportunity to take stock of priorities, and do things we may not have had time to do before. For those affected by job/financial loss, be mindful that the current situation is temporary and not a sign of failure as a person. The cause of this situation may not be within your control, but we can make the most of it. Help is available - explore job matching, financial assistance schemes.

  • Share with others. Talking with trusted friends, family and co-workers about how we are feeling will lessen our feelings of anxiety or fear. Discuss options with them before making major decisions.

We have no control over unplanned change, but we do have control over how we perceive change - as a crisis or as an opportunity. In perceiving change as opportunities, we can challenge ourselves and think about ways to make gradual modifications in response to the major changes occurring in our lives. It does "take a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." ~ Alan Cohen

 

Should you have any concerns and or would like to explore further your responses to this article, please contact us at comment@livingeffectively.com. 



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