Shaun’s story
“I knew intellectually that the layoff was not my fault. Emotionally, I felt as if my life were over.”
After moving to Atlanta, I was laid off through no fault of my own. I had severance and still felt angry, frightened, ashamed, and convinced I had wasted everything. Hindsight calls it a setback. My body did not know that at the time.
That experience is part of why I will not tell you to toughen up. What you feel may be intense and completely human. We build support around you while you choose what to do.
Build a five-part resilience map.
- Body
- What basic care is possible today?
- People
- Who are two safe people I can contact?
- Boundary
- What is one limit I need to name or protect?
- Values
- Who do I want to be while this is happening?
- Strategy
- What is one action for the next 24 hours?
Support is part of resilience.
Friends, family, colleagues, mentors, coaches, therapists, faith leaders, and attorneys play different roles.
Asking the right person for the right kind of help is not weakness. It is strategy. No one person has to become your emotional support, legal adviser, and workplace decision-maker all at once.