Find meaning in redundancy

@headgirlphotography

It’s hard to take positives from redundancy and I’m as guilty as anyone of throwing around the advice to ‘stay positive’.

Of course you’ll feel wounded, uncertain and afraid. That’s all natural and it’s important to reflect on all those feelings. But look for evidence that they’re grounded in fact. I bet they’re not!

When you look back at everything that’s gone before, you’ll remember times when your work was recognised – you’ll have e-mails thanking you for work, times when your efforts were appreciated and acknowledgments of your skills and talent. Don’t forget when you helped someone out, and showed kindness and generosity. Write them down, put them somewhere and get them out whenever you need a boost to disprove your doubts.

You’re telling yourself that this is a pandemic, a totally new situation, and nothing’s prepared you for this. So look at times when you overcame an unexpected challenge, found a way to deal with uncertainty, or used your resilience to get through a difficult time. Draw on all of that.

If you’re feeling that this is the moment to change direction and find a job or new career which gives you more fulfilment and plays to values of community and making a social impact, why not consider volunteering? It gives you a chance to put your toe in the water in an area you really care about, may lead to paid work, develops your skills and keeps you busy. Added to which, altruism is proven to benefit physical and mental well-being, so it’s really a win-win.

You can find volunteering opportunities at www.ncvo.org.uk

If you HAVE decided that your current career direction is no longer in line with your values or what gives you meaning in life, there’s a work sheet on my website to help you assess where you might want to make a change. www.cathybrowncoach.com

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